Leiden University Student Repository

Bakhuis, Emely (2023)

The Sexual Objectification of Female Characters by Male Authors in Comparison to Female Authors

Bachelor thesis | Engelse taal en cultuur (BA)

This research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels each by male and female American authors. These novels were chosen because of their similarities and because they feature a male protagonist who narrates the story. The novels were analysed for phrases used to describe the female characters appearance and these descriptions were compared to the novels of the opposite gender to check for any sexual objectification. The results revealed that male authors were more likely to sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. However, due to the size of this research, more research must be done to understand the scale and nuances of this.

Language

gender

authors

novels

feminism

Author

Bakhuis, Emely

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Language Acquisition

Supervisors

Zeven, Katinka
Smakman, Dick

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en