Savior or Villain? A Corpus Stylistic Approach to the Linguistic Construction of Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence in Westworld
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Published:2022-12-23
Issue:2
Volume:44
Page:65-87
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ISSN:1989-6840
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Container-title:Atlantis. Journal of the Spanish Association for Anglo-American Studies
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language:
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Short-container-title:Atlantis
Author:
Palomino-Manjón Patricia,
Abstract
This paper explores how the identity of victim-survivors of sexual violence is portrayed in the dystopian TV series Westworld (2016-present) by analyzing the linguistic characterization of the lead female character, Dolores Abernathy. To do so, this paper adopts a mixed methodology which combines corpus stylistics and Appraisal Theory with a feminist critical reading of the results in order to examine the textual cues in Dolores’ dialogue which characterize her journey from being a victim to becoming an empowered being. The results of the analysis show that the series features a misappropriation of female empowerment and liberation since Dolores presents a masculinization of her fictional identity which mirrors patriarchal practices and attitudes against women.
Publisher
AEDEAN (Asociacion Espanola de Estudios Anglo-Norteamericanos)
Subject
Literature and Literary Theory,Linguistics and Language,Language and Linguistics,Cultural Studies