Harley Quinn
towards a new anti-heroic female representation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25185/18.8Keywords:
Antiheroine, Monomyth, Harley Quinn, Comic, Audiovisual narrative, Gender studiesAbstract
This research proposes to analyze the mutable construction of Harley Quinn’s figure, which continuously deconstructs the monomyth theory enunciated by Joseph Campbell. Through a comparison of the two most recent cinematographic versions, this study reflects on the progressive changes that interweave the primordial values and the current sociocultural transformations, introducing a reading of the character framed in the new feminisms when narratively structuring the features that constitute a unique and complex anti-heroine as Harley Quinn.
This study demonstrates that Harley Quinn’s representation is not fixed, but rather mutable and context dependent. The modern anti-heroine invites a reexamination and reinterpretation of mythic structures as traditionally conceived. Unlike other female archetypes commonly portrayed in audiovisual media, the anti-heroine embodied by Harley Quinn reveals a fragmented, ambiguous, and profoundly human trajectory. Her narrative aligns more closely with the “heroine’s journey” as outlined by Maureen Murdock, opening avenues for exploring the multiplicity and richness of feminine representations in the 21st century.
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