Investigating the Implications of Gender Role Deconstruction in Fire heart from a Gender Studies Perspective

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the representation of male and female characters’ in Fireheart movie from the perspective of deconstruction theory proposed by Jean Jacques Derrida. Traditional gender roles assume men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive; they assume women as emotional, irrational, weak, nurturing, and submissive. Deconstruction does not mean to destroy; rather, it means to break down and reconstruct the already constructed structure of something for better understanding. The extraordinary actions and performances of female characters; Georgia (protagonist) and Pauline (antagonist), in the movie; deconstruct the concept of strength and leadership. The researcher finds both female characters as the embodiment of empowerment and bravery. Georgia keeps defending her dream of becoming the world’s first female firefighter; even though her father does not support her but she never gives up. She voluntarily decides to save the world from the arsonist (a smoke monster) in disguise of a man named Joe. She solves the mystery and reveals the true identity of Pauline who wanted to destroy the world and took revenge on them. Georgia saves the world and her father from the evil plan of Pauline and achieves her dream by becoming the world’s first female firefighter. Pauline and Georgia, both are smart, confident, intelligent, and decisive women. They live their lives as men do. Their characters demonstrate female superiority and dominancy. Hence, both opponents are interdependent on each other but neither is stronger or weaker than the other. Both have their own significance. The study is purely qualitative and illustrative in nature.