Contextual Studies: Gender Representation - Jessica Jones
As part of our individual seminar groups we get the oppertunity to look at particular areas of representation in greater detail. This week we are looking at the representation of gnder and I have put together a few points I find interesting from the Netflix series "Jessica Jones" that I feel relate to this topic.
Firsty their is the relationship between main character Jessica and villain Killgrave. Throughout the series Jessica is shown to be very indipendant, she is a private detective and distances herself from most people. Even when clients come to her she explains how things are going to work.
When forced in to a team situation she mostly takes the lead role (often to Simpson's irritation).
However when killgrave perhaps the shows strongest male character enters a scene Jessica looses all control, he tells her and others exactly what to do and whats going to happen undermining their power, and destroying Jessica's indipendance and will. Fitting in to the very traditional patriarch idea. We see that even when he is not present Jessica still feels a strong sense of fear, regarding the only person who can control her (even though her friend Jeri has more political power than Jones even she can't controll her) it takes the male gender role.
We also see a modern approach to gender roles with Jessica's powerful ally Jeri since she is the best etourny in the city and has a great political influence and charge over a lot of people (a role ususally filled by a man).
However Jessica switches the traditional gender roles when she interrogates Killgrave.
The relationships between Jessica Trish and Simpson are also interesting to look at. Trish is a very traditionally passive character unlike Jessica (which annoys her greatly) and feels the constant need for protection from Simpson (who symultaniously feels the need to protect trish). But his very tradtional masculinity is undermined by Jessica's increadibly strong will and tendancy to take controll. Killgrave also undermines this since although Simpson is the one with the weapon killgrave can command him to do anything he wishes without resistance.
Even when Jessica meets similarly powered Luke Cage she doesn't let his overbaring masculinity and physical streangth surpeass her own and they see each otehr as equals both taking control of a situation at diferent points, which is perhaps the most modern and acurate representation of gender roles we see in the show.
Firsty their is the relationship between main character Jessica and villain Killgrave. Throughout the series Jessica is shown to be very indipendant, she is a private detective and distances herself from most people. Even when clients come to her she explains how things are going to work.
When forced in to a team situation she mostly takes the lead role (often to Simpson's irritation).
However when killgrave perhaps the shows strongest male character enters a scene Jessica looses all control, he tells her and others exactly what to do and whats going to happen undermining their power, and destroying Jessica's indipendance and will. Fitting in to the very traditional patriarch idea. We see that even when he is not present Jessica still feels a strong sense of fear, regarding the only person who can control her (even though her friend Jeri has more political power than Jones even she can't controll her) it takes the male gender role.
We also see a modern approach to gender roles with Jessica's powerful ally Jeri since she is the best etourny in the city and has a great political influence and charge over a lot of people (a role ususally filled by a man).
However Jessica switches the traditional gender roles when she interrogates Killgrave.
The relationships between Jessica Trish and Simpson are also interesting to look at. Trish is a very traditionally passive character unlike Jessica (which annoys her greatly) and feels the constant need for protection from Simpson (who symultaniously feels the need to protect trish). But his very tradtional masculinity is undermined by Jessica's increadibly strong will and tendancy to take controll. Killgrave also undermines this since although Simpson is the one with the weapon killgrave can command him to do anything he wishes without resistance.
Even when Jessica meets similarly powered Luke Cage she doesn't let his overbaring masculinity and physical streangth surpeass her own and they see each otehr as equals both taking control of a situation at diferent points, which is perhaps the most modern and acurate representation of gender roles we see in the show.
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