MODULE 2, UNIT 4

Putting it together: Creative Project

Goal: Compare The Searchers to a current-day Captivity Narrative and apply a gender and race analysis that demonstrates an understanding of residual, dominant, and emergent discourses. Present this analysis as a creative project.

Introduction to Creative Project

This project is meant for you to synthesize what we have learned in Module 2. We started this module (Module 02, Unit 1: Exploring Residual Discourse) by critically analyzing “The Searchers.” The film, starring John Wayne, was released in 1956 and was based on a popular novel published in 1954, which was in turn based on the story of Cynthia Ann Parker who was taken captive in 1836. We then (in Module 02, Unit 2: Construction of Gender) analyzed the construction of masculinity in our culture, which largely characterizes ideal men as “tough guys” – the kind portrayed by John Wayne in The Searchers. In dominant media discourse, which has its roots in residual discourse, men who are not tough guys tend to be feminized and portrayed as weak (with feminine=”bad”).

Next, we learned the dominant ways femininity is constructed in our culture– typically as objects of male desire with little or no agency – and we discussed how the common myth of captivity narratives has influenced our understanding of gender relations: women are weak and stupid and treated like property, or need to be saved/rescued by a tough man (usually white, usually a love interest). Queer people are otherized or demonized. We learned that women, queer, and non-binary folks have fought against these constructed and unbalanced media representations for centuries, most recently through the #MeToo and Trans movements. While today we can be shocked by residual representations from previous decades, there is a continued struggle for women and queer folks to control the story and tell those stories–through emergent discourse– that have long been ignored.

Then in Module 02 Unit 04: Construction of Race and Ethnicity, we studied the way people of color are portrayed as “other,” “less than,” and “threatening” by residual and dominant narratives. These portrayals have a long legacy in centuries of media representations, and again can be linked to captivity narratives as an enduring “common sense” story that portrays minority men of color as fearful thugs who rape/assault white women. This constructed, embedded fear of minority men and women remains dominant in our current media representations, imbues our lives as American citizens, terrifies people of color, has justified the unnecessary murders and incarceration of black men and women, and continues to drive and define the struggle for representation. Through emergent narratives, people of color have always sought representational stories and characterizations–the BLM and “Oscar So White” movements are a reminder that these issues remain with us.

Now it’s your turn to put things together.

Our hope is that you have already been making connections between these areas of study, and are realizing that the dominant narratives in our culture have largely served heterosexual, white Christian men. This dominant group largely controls the stories, they control the stereotypes, and these stories/stereotypes define much of our our culture, allowing one group (white heterosexual Christian men) to keep their control over the other groups (women and racial/ethnic minorities), oftentimes with their complicity (that’s where hegemony comes in). While white men maintain their power through media stories and other means, ultimately, no one is served well as full humanity–including stories about being a sensitive white man– in all its beautiful complexity, is denied to everyone.

Instructions

Conduct a gender and race analysis by comparing “The Searchers” (1956) [or another Residual Text] with a current captivity narrative. This project can take the form of an essay, video, infographic, animated slideshow, comic book, or other creative form.

Your job is to draw upon all our discussions, viewings, activities, and readings and create an informed analysis that compares two captivity narratives: The Searchers and a current captivity narrative of your choice. Your project needs to:

Find similarities in plot and representation of men, women, and people of color between your contemporary captivity narrative and The Searchers.
Integrate the following concepts you have learned over the past modules:

the historical context of captivity narratives
debates about gender
limited representations of masculinity and femininity
the male gaze (Mulvey)
men act, women appear (Berger)
historical representations of people of color and the historical context of U.S. racism.
limited and demeaning representations for people of color and marginalized ethnic groups

Identify the showrunners (producers/writers), directors, and cinematographers of your contemporary captivity narrative, and consider the ideological perspectives and “gaze” of the people behind the content (and the camera).

Summarize and offer a conclusion as to the role of captivity narratives in defining our culture.

Select a text

Choose one captivity narrative from below: Take some time to investigate each of these films and decide which captivity narrative you will go for.

MOVIES (Also consult list of kidnapping and hostage taking, and this list about “damsels in distress”)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Savages (2012),
Taken (2008)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Into the Blue (2005).
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Super Mario Bros. game (1988+)
Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3
Missing (2023)
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
YOUR CHOICE: if you have a contemporary captivity narrative film, videogame, or news event (e.g. Molly Tibbetts) in mind to analyze instead of the ones offered, just clear it with me.

Rubric 100 points

Description of contemporary captivity narrative, and the similarities you identify in plot and representation: 40 points.

Identification of the following concepts 40 points

The historical context of captivity narratives (5 points)

Debates about gender (5 points)
Limited representations of masculinity and femininity (5 points)
The male gaze (Mulvey) (5 points)
Men act, women appear (Berger) (5 points)
The historical context of U.S. racism (5 points)
Limited representations for people of color (including the noble savage) (5 points)
Connections about semiotics, ideology and hegemony from Module 1 (5 points)

Identification of the creators 10 points

Showrunners (producers/writers)
Directors, and Cinematographers of your contemporary captivity narrative,
Illustrate why their gender, race or ethnicity matters in the stories they tell.

Summarize your project and conclude with key takeaways 10 points

Module 2: Construction of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity