Women and Power: Amazons in Contemporary Young Adult Film

Abstract

Amazons are a female symbol that appears in art and literature, contributing to the construction of an imaginary of mythical and warrior women that has fed many popular culture products, most often from a patriarchal and/or phallic point of view. Nevertheless, we can observe the existence of some mainstream products that subvert this representation, elaborating a positive and emancipatory heroic profile. This paper provides an analysis of two recent works addressed at young adults: the animated movie Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, 2012) and The Hunger Games film saga (Gary Ross, 2012; Francis Lawrence, 2013, 2014, and 2015). In both cases there exists an unquestionable female centrality which, seen from a feminist standpoint, offers an alternative to most characters in the audiovisual industry, defined by sexism and subordination to the male. In this respect, both Merida and Katniss are presented as independent heroines with their own personality and agency.