An Analysis of Women’s Language Features in the Film Wicked (2024)
Abstract
This study examines women’s language features and gender performativity in Wicked (2024), focusing on the dialogues of its two main female characters, Glinda and Elphaba. The study aims to identify the women’s language features used by the characters and to examine how these linguistic choices contribute to their performances of gender. A qualitative descriptive approach is employed, with the characters’ dialogues serving as the primary source of data. Lakoff’s (1975) theory of women’s language is used to identify linguistic features such as hedges, tag questions, intensifiers, rising intonation, super-polite forms, and emphatic stress. Butler’s (1990) theory of gender performativity is then used to interpret how these language patterns contribute to the construction and performance of femininity. The findings indicate that Glinda frequently employs hedges, intensifiers, tag questions, polite expressions, and emphatic language, reflecting a more socially conventional performance of femininity. In contrast, Elphaba tends to use more direct and assertive forms of communication and employs fewer of the language features identified by Lakoff. These differences suggest that femininity is not represented as a fixed linguistic characteristic but is performed differently through language, social interaction, and character positioning. The study demonstrates that the combination of Lakoff’s and Butler’s perspectives provides a useful framework for examining how language contributes to the representation and performance of gender in contemporary film.