A Critical Discourse Analysis of Feminism and its Framing in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter
Author
Ohlsson, Stefanie Hald
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-02
Pages
74
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan køn, magt og ulighed rammesættes i J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter-serie med fokus på de første fire bind. Med udgangspunkt i, at figurer som Hermione Granger og professor McGonagall ofte opfattes som stærke rollemodeller, stiller projektet kritiske spørgsmål til, om bøgerne samtidig reproducerer traditionelle skønhedsidealer, binære kønsnormer og heteronormative, patriarkalske strukturer. Centralt står spørgsmålene: Hvordan beskrives kvinder, mænd og køn i et binært system? Hvordan positioneres kvindelige karakterer i forhold til mandlig autoritet? Og hvordan rammesættes køn og andre uligheder – herunder klasse og race – gennem sproglige valg og fortællingens vinkler? Metodisk bygger studiet på nærlæsninger, hvor Kritisk Diskursanalyse (med afsæt i Norman Fairclough og Terry Locke) integreres med frameanalyse (Anders Persson) for at undersøge ordvalg, beskrivelser og narrative rammer i konkrete teksteksempler. Analysen er forankret i feministisk teori (Judith Butler, Amy Allen, bell hooks og Christina Hughes) om performativitet, magt, dualismer og forskelligartede kvindeerfaringer. På baggrund af det gennemgåede materiale argumenterer afhandlingen for, at serien – trods sine stærke kvindefigurer – ofte opretholder patriarkalske hierarkier og heteronormativitet, fastholder stereotype kønsforståelser og afspejler klassediskrimination i samspil med køn og race.
This thesis examines how gender, power, and inequality are framed in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, focusing on the first four books. While characters like Hermione Granger and Professor McGonagall are widely celebrated as strong role models, the project asks whether the texts also reproduce conventional beauty standards, binary gender norms, and heteronormative, patriarchal structures. The core questions are: How are women, men, and gender described within a binary system? How are female characters positioned relative to male authority? And how are gender and other inequalities—including class and race—framed through language and narrative choices? Methodologically, the study conducts close readings that integrate Critical Discourse Analysis (drawing on Norman Fairclough and Terry Locke) with frame analysis (Anders Persson) to track word choices, descriptions, and narrative frames in selected passages. The analysis is grounded in feminist theory (Judith Butler, Amy Allen, bell hooks, and Christina Hughes) concerning performativity, power, dualisms, and the diversity of women’s experiences. Based on the material discussed, the thesis argues that—despite prominent female figures—the series frequently sustains patriarchal hierarchies and heteronormativity, maintains stereotypical understandings of gender, and reflects class-based discrimination intersecting with gender and race.
[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]
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