An Analysis of Gender Stereotypes and Performativity in Brave Movie

Here is the chapter 4 of my thesis, An Analysis of Gender Stereotypes and Performativity in Brave Movie. For the complete version of it, check it through my Academia.edu profile. 

CHAPTER IV FINDING AND ANALYSIS

This chapter is divided into three sub chapters, for each of it discussed about the statements of problems stated in Chapter 1. Using Brave movie as the object of observation, this chapter is then used to display the findings along with the analysis solved through ‘dissecting’ the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of the selected movie.

To ease the analysis, a brief of synopsis about Brave movie is necessary. It is an original story written by co-director Brenda Chapman. This movie was released by Pixar and then continued with Disney Picture on June 10, 2012 in United States. This movie is set in Scotland, right in a rugged and mythical time. It features Merida as an aspiring archers and impulsive daughter of royalty. She makes a careless choice to defend her belief about getting married. Her choice then unleashes unintended risk of her own mother, Queen Elinor and then forces her to fix into action in order to set things right.

4.1. The Gender Stereotypes Phenomena Found in the Movie

As this movie is considered as feminist movie, there are some gender stereotypes phenomena found in the movie. These stereotypes eventually force Merida, as the main female character in this movie to follow and perform some personal traits, occupations, physical appearance, and domestic behaviors. In this section, there are those findings, which are related to the chosen issues along with the analysis.

To make it even narrower, the explanation of gender stereotypes phenomena is limited only in the four kinds of gender stereotypes that are mentioned previously. They are forced to conduct by Merida.

Personal traits are one of kinds of gender stereotypes which are believed to entail to either male or female persons. It revolves around being submissive, gentle, nurturing, indecisive, dependent, and etc. Women are reinforced to carry and perform those personal traits; otherwise it would cause gender discrimination.

As for occupations, the limitation in certain work field. For example is when most nurses and secretaries are mostly women, and most doctors and construction workers are men. In this case, Merida has an attached occupation, which is a Princess. It comes along with some duties and responsibilities that she should hold.

As for the physical appearance, it is the judgments towards the size which is men are expected to have muscular body and women are smaller body. Last is the domestic behavior, which revolves around doing activities remotely. For example, caring for children is often considered best done by women, while household repairs are often considered best done by men. Since most of Princesses are spending time indoor, then it limits them to do outdoor activities.

4.1.1. Findings

The data which are collected in a table becomes the textual evidences of gender stereotypes phenomena found in the movie.

The data found in the movie represent all of the four kinds of gender stereotypes, namely physical appearance, domestic behaviors, occupations, and personal traits. They are presented in which minute the textual evidences are spoken or performed by the characters in this movie. Here are the evidences of Merida being forced to perform gender stereotypes phenomena found in the movie.

Table 1. Gender Stereotypes Phenomena Found in the Movie

No.	Minute	Textual Evidences
1	0:02:30	Queen Elinor (QE): “A bow, Fergus? She's a lady.”
2	00:05:19 - 00:05:50	Merida (M): “I became a sister to three new brothers. The princes; Hamish, Hubert and Harris. Wee devils, more like. They get away with anything. I'm the Princess. I'm the example. I've got duties, responsibilities, and expectations. My whole life is planned out, preparing for the day I become, well, my mother.”
3	0:06:14	QE: “A Princess must be knowledgeable about her Kingdom.”
4	0:06:06	QE: “Enunciate. You must be understood from anywhere in the room, or it's all for naught.”
5	0:06:17	QE: “She does not doodle.”
6	00:06:30 - 00:06:42	QE: “A Princess does not chortle.” (PA)| “Does not stuff her gob!” (PA)| “Rises early.” (O) | “...is compassionate | “patient, cautious, clean.” | “...and above all, a Princess strives for... Well, perfection.”
7	00:10:08 and 00:10:14	QE: “Merida, a Princess does not place her weapons on the table.” | “A Princess should not have weapons in my opinion.”
8	0:12:31	QE: “A Princess does not raise her voice.”
9	0:12:24	QE: “This year, each clan will present a suitor to compete in the games for your hand.”
10	0:12:34	QE: “Merida, this is what you've been preparing for your whole life.”
11	0:13:55	QE: “It's marriage. It's not the end of the world.”
12	0:14:58	QE: “Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?”
13	0:27:37 - 0:28:18	QE: “I am the Queen. You listen to me! | QE: Merida, you are a Princess, and I expect you to act like one.”

4.1.2. Analysis

The analysis is started with defining sex, gender and stereotypes, for then it leads to a complete definition of gender stereotypes. And then it is followed with each explanation of findings related to gender stereotypes phenomena found in the selected movie.

As for sex, it is born, exclusive to a particular sex and is fixed. Sex does not change over time. Once an individual was born male, he would always be male. It occurs exactly the same to female too. Sex is natural too, for there are organs that determine a male is biologically a person with penis and Adam’s apple. As for the females, they have vaginas and breasts. Sex is therefore a fact of biology, which is the physiological distinctiveness or state of being male or female.

As for gender, it refers to human traits linked by culture to each sex. Males are socialized to be masculine as females are taught to be feminine within a society. Gender is therefore the difference that sex makes within a society. It guides how people with the same assigned sex to think and interact with others. Gender is also entailed by some opportunities, occupations, roles and prestige that should be followed by each sex. Imagine a person comes with a set of characteristics, roles and behavior patterns that distinguish him from females which are not constructed biologically, but socially and even culturally. There would be differences. Gender then can be considered as analytical tool to understand social processes like the variable concepts of race, class, ethnicity, economics and culture that affect human beings. There are then some characteristics that distinguish it from sex, as follows:

-  It starts the moment the sex is known.

-  It is socially constructed.

- It varies within and among cultures as different individuals and societies would give different meanings to maleness and femaleness.

- It is the attributes, expected behaviors, expected responsibilities and expected roles that go with maleness and femaleness.

-  It is learnt.

For stereotype, it is a structured set of beliefs about some personal attributes of a group of people. Stereotypes are indeed harmful. For each individual, no matter sex they are assigned with comes with certain uniqueness. But these generalizations about a class of people become solid and models to point at some traits of a group of people.

After those explanations above, the differences then can be identified easily. Thus it would lead this analysis to another next level, which is a definition of gender stereotypes, for it refers to several features of individuals assigned to men and women and be held with considerable assurance by many people. These features are not assigned due to an individual’s biological sex, but rather in accordance to the social roles that men and women had (masculine/feminine).

From the findings above, these gender stereotypes phenomena prevailed at that time are actually holding back Merida’s passion in archery and more specifically, in doing anything she loves to do, which mostly against her roles as a Princess. These findings are better broken down one by one so that the relevancies between it all and the settings of the movie can be identified instantly.

Here are the analyses of each finding collected from the movie:

Textual Evidence 1

Minute: 0:02:30

Queen Elinor: “A bow, Fergus? She's a lady.”

From that evidence, Queen Elinor was questioning King Fergus’ decision of 1^st birthday gift for his daughter, Merida. He gave her a bow, although he understands that Merida is a lady. If it is connected to the setting of this movie, there is a proof of a Princess that should not be burdened by other masculine activities like archery or riding a horse (in this case). She must spend all of her time, be schooled at home by her own mother, and learn mostly about languages, embroidery, and how to be entertaining. A Princess does not have time to dwell in arranging wars, so that learning how to defend her, like archery is not necessary. This evidence shows the occupation of a Princess limits her in doing what she loves to do.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 2

Minute: 00:05:19 - 00:05:50

Merida: “I became a sister to three new brothers. The princes; Hamish, Hubert and Harris. Wee devils, more like. They get away with anything. I'm the Princess. I'm the example. I've got duties, responsibilities, and expectations. My whole life is planned out, preparing for the day I become, well, my mother.”

From this evidence, Merida complains about injustice freedom that her three younger brothers have, whereas she cannot get away with anything. It is because of special occupations that are attached to her. As she said in textual evidence, she has got duties, responsibilities, and expectations. Because in the end, she would be the heir of her father’s Kingdom, or in other words, she would become Queen of Dun Broch. For becoming a Queen she still has to obey the King, or in other words, she would be limited by the other feminine stereotypes about personal traits that she should be submissive, gentle, and nurturing, as well as to put family’s welfare before her own.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 3

Minute: 0:06:14

Queen Elinor: “A Princess must be knowledgeable about her Kingdom.”

This evidence is categorized as occupation stereotype, which a Princess should carry. It certainly is against her occupation as a Princess. She is not allowed to do outdoor activities, whereas she also needs to be knowledgeable about her Kingdom. Is not is confusing enough for her to only know it from textual books, not from seeing it using her own eyes? In other words, she is limited in getting known other areas, mostly outdoors, because she must work remotely and mostly indoor. She is used only to build relationship and form alliances between countries. If there is a chance for her to rule a Kingdom, then she also has duties to be knowledgeable about her own, but still, she is limited by responsibilities in raising her children. It is like repetitively performing the same roles as when she was a Princess.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 4

Minute: 0:06:06

Queen Elinor: “Enunciate. You must be understood from anywhere in the room, or it's all for naught.”

Female in medieval period must stand out of what she believes. But it does not mean she needs to be aggressive, dominant and less sensitive. Women are forced to amaze a lot of their peoples by her intelligence since they were schooled and are forbidden in doing anything else. The last line is showing how many years had spent by the Queen, to schooling Merida, and if she does not enunciate, projecting her voice and stand out in front of her people, then all of the efforts would waste in vain.  It also becomes another evidence of occupation harmful stereotypical role for women living in medieval period.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 5

Minute: 0:06:17

Queen Elinor: “She does not doodle.”

Doodle or unintended drawing is not allowed, except they take things seriously, like painting self-portraits. Mostly men do art things, like painting, and drawing still-life. Women are limited in doing so as they mostly became the objects of the painting. This stereotype is then prohibiting Merida to find out her passion. Finding out one can help a person to really work and do something with all of her heart. In the end, the result would always turn out good. This evidence then becomes another occupation stereotyping for women in middle ages period.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 6

Minute: 00:06:30 - 00:06:42

Queen Elinor: “A Princess does not chortle.” | “Does not stuff her gob!” | “Rises early.” | “...is compassionate,” | “...patient, cautious, clean.” | “...and above all, a Princess strives for... Well, perfection.”

This evidence shows how Merida has responsibilities in forming a good image of a Princess. She is forced to have a good physical appearance (e.g. slim and pretty). For stuffing her stomach with a lot of foods is not allowed. She must not act oppositely her own personal traits as what society believed her to have. As a noble woman, she should begin her day at dawn with morning prayers and then followed by breakfast. In her leisure time, she should include embroidery, discussion on betrothals, poetry, marriage and courtly love. It is true then; a noble woman like Merida should strive for perfection almost in everything, except masculine activities. These lines show harmful evidences of stereotypes which are forced for Merida to conduct and obey.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Physical Appearance, Occupation, and Personal Traits.

Textual Evidence 7

Minute: 00:10:08 and 00:10:14

Queen Elinor: “Merida, a Princess does not place her weapons on the table.” | “A Princess should not have weapons in my opinion.”

It is a fact with full of risks for not allowing women to learn how to defend themselves, or in this case is learning martial art. She lives in medieval period which threatens the people to at least know how to use swords. But her mother shows a Princess is an occupation which has a lot of limitations, including having a bow without its arrows to be placed on the table.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 8 - 11

Minute: 0:12:31 - 0:13:55

Queen Elinor: “A Princess does not raise her voice. | This year, each clan will present a suitor to compete in the games for your hand.”

Merida : “I suppose a Princess just does what she's told?!”

Queen Elinor: “Merida, this is what you've been preparing for your whole life.”

Merida: “No, it's what you've been preparing for my whole life. I won't go through with it. You can't make me!”

Queen Elinor: “It's marriage. It's not the end of the world!”

In the earlier, this evidence shows that a Princess comes with certain personal traits which distinguish her with regular women at her age. The warning about raising her voice is also one of those personal traits kind of stereotypes. A Princess should not be loud in order for her to be heard.

As for her engagement evidence, it is also part of the occupation of a Princess, where she cannot do anything with Queen’s decision, which is unbreakable. This evidence shows that Merida and her mother, the Queen, were arguing about one-sided decision of betrothal or engagement in order to form allies for her father’s Kingdom. Back in medieval period, trading a King’s daughter is allowed. Marriages were arranged by powerful families so they can build alliances and women were the property that was traded. This stereotype is still happening up to these days. Noblewomen anywhere in the world are used to build more power and gain more alliances as it happened to Merida. Being told to whom she should marry by their parents is one of Princess occupations. The princess is expected to obey the king and have impeccable manners at all times. The very last line of Queen Elinor is showing the world how love is nothing compared to the fate of her Kingdom. Love is being degraded to a mere thing that can be built during marriage times.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Personal Traits and Occupation

Textual Evidence 12

Minute: 0:14:58

Queen Elinor: “Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?”

Here is another proof that parents in medieval period were involved in raising their children to be ready to face betrothal, especially women, who were expected to be respectful to all of the male members of their family. And if they fail to do so, the failure was seen as a crime against religion and society norms prevailed at that time. Parents come with occupations to bring their daughters to engagement doors and then train them beforehand about being a good wife and mother. Being forced by people who come with some occupations also make the one who is forced to fulfill her occupation as the result of this parental relationship.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation

Textual Evidence 13

Minute: 0:27:37 - 0:28:18

Queen Elinor: “I am the Queen. You listen to me!” | “Merida, you are a Princess, and I expect you to act like one.”

Merida is encountered by a fact that a Queen should not be ignored. She also experienced some roles that a decision of her Queen is unbreakable, for she must also obey all of the rules from the Queen. They became slaves for her parents and the men around them. Another occupation she must fulfill.

Kinds of Gender Stereotypes: Occupation