An Analysis of Gender Representation Through Women Characters' Utterances in Encanto 2021: Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This research examines how Encanto represents women through the female characters' utterances. Further, the study also analyzes how heteronormativity is represented through the plays. Encanto, which is set in Colombia, reflects how lifestyle, culture, and social practices enacted there. The characters, which are the most played women, put them at a disadvantage, even though they are gifted with magical powers. Therefore, researchers are interested in finding out how heteronormative practices can be enacted in Encanto, as a representative of the Colombian people, and how it influences the representation of women in that society. The analysis aims to find out what Disney's purpose in representing women as shown in the movie, and what underlies the film production process from several aspects including textual, discursive practice, and socio-cultural. The study uses Fairclough's (1996) three dimensional theory of CDA, which consists of textual analysis, discursive practice, and socio-cultural analysis. It is conducted to find out what meaning is implied in the discourse, especially regarding gender issues. In the textual analysis, Searle's (1979) speech act theory is used as a tool to understand the purpose of the characters’ utterances. Warner's (2004) heterotheory (2004) is also used in this research to investigate the interdiscursivity (the relation between discourse and one another) in Encanto. This research also uses Fairclough's (2010) dialectical-relational approach to analyze how socio-cultural practice influences the production of the movie. The research applies the descriptive qualitative method since it focuses on the utterances of characters in Encanto. The data are the selected utterances which are taken from the script of the movie based on the gender representation. Therefore, documentary research strategy is used, as it is thought to be the most appropriate method for the research. The analysis found 32 data regarding gender issues, which are then categorized based on the type of illocutionary acts using Searle's (1979) speech act theory. It is found that the most used illocutionary act, from 32 data, is expressive acts which are used 16 times (50%). Further, the analysis found Encanto represents women as the ones who are being disadvantaged because of the heteronormative practices enacted in society. It makes them not free of themselves. Heteronormativity in Encanto is represented in several ways, including how they set an ideal standard for women, differentiate gender roles between men and women, and the exploitation of women’s power by representing them as community servants.