Linguistic Features of Male Characters in Disney Animated Movies

The present study investigates the linguistic features of male characters in three Disney animated movies: Tangled (2010), Frozen (2013) and Moana (2016). It adopts Coates’ (2016) framework (developed from Holmes 2013 and Herbert 1998) of men’s language (e.g. commands and directives, swearing and taboo words, interruption, questions and compliments) and Fairclough’s (1995) three-dimensional framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (text, discourse practice and sociocultural practice). The findings reveal that the linguistic feature that mostly characterizes male Disney characters’ language is asking questions followed by giving orders and directives since asking questions that seek short answers and giving orders directly and indirectly indicate dominating the conversation. The third male linguistic feature is impersonal compliments followed by taboo and swearing words. Finally, interruption was the least used linguistic male feature. In all reported instances, the male characters interrupted the female characters because they felt superior.