Heroines and sexy victims: what we learn from female protagonists

Narrative artworks can be evocative and powerful, particularly for young viewers seeking role models. Much consideration has been given to the stereotypical ways in which women are usually portrayed on screen and the characterisation of female protagonists in popular novel, film, and television franchises. In this chapter, I focus on the role of narrative artworks in widening our dominant cultural paradigm of womanhood, by educating our emotions in relation to popular female protagonists. Drawing upon Noël Carroll’s notion of criterial prefocusing, I consider how certain narrative artworks have the potential to offer more possibilities to young viewers, especially to young women who are figuring out what they should aim for and emulate. In this way, and supported by educational engagement with such narrative artworks, dominant stereotypes and paradigm scenarios to do with womanhood may be challenged and broadened. I shall illustrate this claim in reference to popular teen novels and films, the Twilight and Hunger Games franchises. Through dialogical pedagogy, teachers may encourage students to critically reflect upon their responses to their favourite characters.