BETWEEN GENDER AND RELIGION: LOOKING BACK ON GENDER PERFORMATIVITY IN THE FILM “THE STARLING GIRL” (2023)

Anisa Dwi Utari; Priscilla Mega Anindita; Angelia Alexa Vega Sunarko

doi:10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v6i2.485

Anisa Dwi Utari Universitas Diponegoro
Priscilla Mega Anindita Universitas Diponegoro
Angelia Alexa Vega Sunarko Universitas Diponegoro

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v6i2.485

Keywords: gender identity, gender performativity, religion

Abstract

Religion plays a significant role in influencing how communities construct and enforce gender roles, particularly in contexts where spiritual doctrine governs social behavior. This study aims to investigate the intersection of religion and gender through a qualitative descriptive analysis of The Starling Girl (2023). The purpose of this research is to understand how gender performativity is depicted through Jemima Starling’s interactions with her religious environment. Using Butler’s gender performativity theory, the findings reveal that gender identity in the film is not portrayed as an innate identity but as a socially constructed performance, shaped by repeated acts under institutional and emotional pressures. Jemima Starling’s journey illustrates the tension between conformity and resistance. It highlights the potential for reconfiguring gender norms through personal agency. Furthermore, this study sought to contribute to broader discussions on gender and religion by demonstrating how media can critically reflect and challenge the mechanisms through which patriarchal values are sustained in faith-based communities.

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