Deconstructing Otherness and Gendered Power: A Feminist Discourse Analysis of Judy Hopps in Disney’s Zootopia (2016)

This study examines the portrayal of identity and gendered power through the female character Judy Hopps from Disney’s Zootopia (2016). The study employs theories of Simone de Beauvior’s “Otherness” and Rosemarie Tong’s Liberal Feminism as theoretical orientation. Feminist critical discourse analysis is used as a method where CDA analyzes the ways Judy Hops is portrayed in relation to societal expectations of women in animated or children’s movie through language, narrative and dialogues. Judy dreams of becomg a police officer in Zootopia Police Department (ZPD), a career in law enforcement which is a male-dominated organization. This alters the stereotypical roles that are usually assigned to female characters in animated/children’s movies. Her character reflects ideas from liberal feminism i.e. Independence, equality to men and excelling in career. However, the analysis of the study also reveals that Judy in the beginning is positioned as an “Other” by male-members and colleagues in both Zootopia Police Academy and Department. She is treated as different because of her specie (rabbit) and gender (woman). This highlights the barriers that she seeks to overcome. Moreover, this paper explore significant moments from the movie where power is redefined and challenged by Judy Hopps. It is done through an in-depth examination of dialogue exchanges, character roles, and language patterns. The findings reveal that Zootopia (2016) present a strong and empowering representation of a female protagonist who breaks the societal gender norms by focusing on the personal choices and efforts rather than changing a larger system. The study contributes in the field of gender studies and feminist media studies by showing that animated narratives can both reflect and construct discourses about gender, power, and belonging.