A Feminist Critique on the Patriarchal American Capitalism in The Terminator (Part I)

Abstract

This research entitled “A Feminist Critique on the Patriarchal American Capitalism in The Terminator” concerns with the gender discrimination and women resistance against it. Here, we can see, Sarah shows her courage and kills Terminator, at the end of the movie. Through the critical analysis of Sarah, the female character, this study aims at deconstructing the gender prejudices and patriarchal binaries centrally collected in Cameron’s movie. In this movie, Cameron focuses on Male Cyborg rather than Female Cyborg to show male as superior and female as an inferior. From the beginning, Sarah, a center character, is portrayed as very weak, innocent and dependent. Whereas male characters have been portrayed as strong and powerful, but Sarah sets her sense of resistance in opposition to the gender discrimination. Sarah, a female character has been targeted by both chivalrous and misogynistic male. Terminator (antagonist) and Reese (protagonist) are portrayed as masculine power; try to control Sarah in their own way. A male character has imposed unwanted troubles upon the female like Sarah. So, female protagonist comes with the sense of resistance against the gender oppression and stands up against the whole system which also brings the possibility of Female Cyborg.