Postfeminism Discourse in Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the meaning of feminist success that is related to the representation of post-feminism discourse in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, published in 2017. The postfeminist characteristics that the main character adopts become a problem in achieving her success, especially in the neoliberal field. Therefore, this research examines the neoliberalism impacts in this post-feminism discourse that traps female characters. This research method uses qualitative research. The primary data is taken from the novel. This thesis uses the theory of post-feminism by Angela McRobbie and the discursive approach by Michel Foucault. The result of this research is that two things disturb the application of post-feminism on female characters. The first is the heterosexual matrix and patriarchal neoliberalism that the film industry applies. The second is the post-feminism masquerade that happens to the female character. It can be proven through the concept of the new sexual contract and the luminosity effect. The result of the post-feminism masquerade that happens to the female character is giving the shadow of feminism’s success. Behind the freedom that the female character, Evelyn, gets after her struggles in Hollywood, she is still controlled by the heterosexual matrix and patriarchal system in the Hollywood film industry. The female character is used as a subject of neoliberalism’s profit. Therefore, there is a negotiation to survive the heterosexual matrix by marrying men seven times, but Evelyn experiences ambivalence and distress in this negotiation. In addition, the novel’s author criticizes and rejects the heterosexual matrix and post-feminism masquerade in the film industry. This is because the author is part of a female society that works in a work environment that adheres to the heterosexual matrix and post-feminism masquerade.