Gender Roles In Wonder Woman

Marvel Studio’s Wonder Woman is arguably one of the best feminine hero films that have been produced. The depiction of the main character Diana Prince outlines the theme of gender constructs in the society and thus works to liberate women from the social expectations of the female gender as a weak, dependent, and second-class gender in the society. In the “No man’s land” scene of Wonder Woman, Diana Prince goes against all odds to stand up against the German troops when the allied troops only come later to assist her in the fight. She shows courage and leads the allied forces in an almost impossible feat in attempting to destroy the German forces virtually alone. In the ‘No Man’s Land’ scene of Wonder Woman, the theme of courage in contrast to the gender identity of Diana Prince is brought out, but the scene could also show Fausto-Sterling’s claim that the dualism of gender in the society should be obscured if equality is to be achieved. However, Naomi Wolf’s claim that women should not be held accountable for their beauty is offset in the film through the visual appeal of Diana in the scene.

In her essay, she shows how the determination to stay within the social construction of what is ‘normal’ can harm the people involved. She begins with the story of Maria Patino, an Olympic runner who was barred from participating because she had a Y chromosome despite her having grown up as a woman. While describing the adverse effects of trying relentlessly to classify people as male and female, she states that: “A body’s sex is too complex. There is no either/or” (Fausto-Sterling 3). This depiction goes to show how Fausto-Sterling believes in offsetting the male/female dualism and allowing people to go beyond the gender constructions and just become