Nexus Between Literature and Media Studies: The Study Of Becoming-Woman through Multimodal Analysis of Olivia Newman’s Where the Crawdads Sing

Abstract

This study investigates the concept of "becoming-woman" and the struggles of Kya in Olivia Newman's 2022 adaptation of Where The Crawdads Sing, specifically focusing on gender dynamics in film media. It delimits its scope to the multimodal portrayal of female agency. Grounded in Deleuzian Feminism, this research draws on Ian Buchanan and Claire Colebrook’s Deleuze and Feminist Theory (2005) and integrates George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory (1970). The study addresses how films contribute to societal perceptions about women’s empowerment and identity formation. Media exposure plays a crucial role in shaping prolonged audience understandings. Employing a qualitative approach, the study utilizes Brian Paltridge’s Multimodal Discourse Analysis to analyze visual and verbal elements. Kya’s character is examined as a site of resistance and transformation. Findings reveal that electronic media disseminates crucial discourses on female agency and transformation, influencing perceptions. Kya’s journey represents challenges to societal norms.Future filmmakers should portray diverse female journeys to foster critical awareness. Viewers should critically engage with such narratives to challenge gender biases.