Udell 1 Dyllan Udell English 201 Marion Quirici May 6th, 2014 Gender and Masculinity Within Action Films Throughout history the representation of disability in movies has been a common theme for many screen writers. Many of these movies include stories of people with disabilities and their journey to overcome any barriers that stand in their way. However, there’s more to these particular films than meets the eye. Each individual film targets a different underlying meaning that is related to people with disabilities. Some of these themes include norms such as gender roles of people with disability and the roles of masculinity and disability. Generally, the social expectation of gender norms is based on ability. There are different perceptions of a male’s ability to do something compared to females and these films reinforce and deconstruct this concept. These perceptions also lead to the outburst of many stereotypes. In my paper I will be analyzing four modern day action movies that many of you are familiar with. I first want to apologize due to chance that I might spoil some of these movies for those of you that have not yet seen them. These representations are very crucial to the argument of my paper. The first film that I’ve analyzed is Zack Snyder’s 300. This movie is based on the Battle of Thermopoly and how Leonidas’ 300 Spartans fought for their country against the ruthless Persian King, Xerxes. Gender roles and masculinity is displayed throughout a large portion of this movie. “Only the hard and strong can call themselves Spartans. Only the hard and strong.” What this quote is really saying is that only the physically and emotionally strong can call themselves Spartans. In this film, Snyder represents the ideal Spartan man as one who is more than physically fit and shows no weaknesses in his character. The contrast between able-bodied Spartans and Spartans with disabilities arises when Ephialtes is introduced. Ephialtes is a deformed hunchback who wants nothing more than to be a Spartan warrior and to carry out his family legacy. King Leonidas explains to Ephialetes that he could never be a Spartan warrior because of his deformities. While it makes logical sense not to send a disabled man to battle, Leonidas is basically telling Ephialtes that he will never be a real man, no matter how hard he tries. This example shows the social expectations of a given culture and the consequences when these expectations aren’t met. The next movie I will turn my attention to is James Cameron’s Avatar. This film depicts the correlation between disability and masculinity on numerous occasions. Main character Jake Sully is introduced as both an ostracized and emasculated character. He is emasculated in a literal sense because of a physical injury making him a paraplegic. His masculinity is defied as he is given the privilege to cooperate in the Avatar program and through experimentation; his mind is then relocated into a body without any physica ...

1. Udell 1
Dyllan Udell
English 201
Marion Quirici
May 6th, 2014
Gender and Masculinity Within Action Films
Throughout history the representation of disability in movies
has been a common theme for many screen writers. Many of
these movies include stories of people with disabilities and their
journey to overcome any barriers that stand in their way.
However, there’s more to these particular films than meets the
eye. Each individual film targets a different underlying meaning
that is related to people with disabilities. Some of these themes
include norms such as gender roles of people with disability and
the roles of masculinity and disability. Generally, the social
expectation of gender norms is based on ability. There are
different perceptions of a male’s ability to do something
compared to females and these films reinforce and deconstruct
this concept. These perceptions also lead to the outburst of
many stereotypes. In my paper I will be analyzing four modern
day action movies that many of you are familiar with.
I first want to apologize due to chance that I might spoil some
of these movies for those of you that have not yet seen them.
These representations are very crucial to the argument of my
paper.
The first film that I’ve analyzed is Zack Snyder’s 300. This
movie is based on the Battle of Thermopoly and how Leonidas’
300 Spartans fought for their country against the ruthless
Persian King, Xerxes. Gender roles and masculinity is displayed
throughout a large portion of this movie. “Only the hard and
strong can call themselves Spartans. Only the hard and strong.”
What this quote is really saying is that only the physically and
emotionally strong can call themselves Spartans. In this film,

2. Snyder represents the ideal Spartan man as one who is more
than physically fit and shows no weaknesses in his character.
The contrast between able-bodied Spartans and Spartans with
disabilities arises when Ephialtes is introduced. Ephialtes is a
deformed hunchback who wants nothing more than to be a
Spartan warrior and to carry out his family legacy. King
Leonidas explains to Ephialetes that he could never be a Spartan
warrior because of his deformities. While it makes logical sense
not to send a disabled man to battle, Leonidas is basically
telling Ephialtes that he will never be a real man, no matter how
hard he tries. This example shows the social expectations of a
given culture and the consequences when these expectations
aren’t met.
The next movie I will turn my attention to is James Cameron’s
Avatar. This film depicts the correlation between disability and
masculinity on numerous occasions. Main character Jake Sully
is introduced as both an ostracized and emasculated character.
He is emasculated in a literal sense because of a physical injury
making him a paraplegic. His masculinity is defied as he is
given the privilege to cooperate in the Avatar program and
through experimentation; his mind is then relocated into a body
without any physical disability. With this body, we see Jake’s
willingness to leave his old life due to the fact that he stops
eating, bathing, and taking care of his human body. This film is
related to the medical model in the sense that Jake is willing to
accept the treatment that will ultimately cure his disability.
As for my third representation, I will discuss these arising
themes in the X-Men films, which we have previously discussed
in class. We noted that certain stigmas were present in X-Men
films because mutants were perceived on a level of “normalcy.”
I tend to elaborate on this argument by analyzing masculinity
and disability on a level of power. My prime example is
Professor X who is the most deceiving X-Men mutant. Professor
Xavier is not represented as physically strong because he is
permanently placed in a wheelchair throughout most of these
movies. This film questions the meaning of masculinity because

3. masculinity is perceived in various forms. His masculinity is
depicted through his intelligence and his ability to influence the
minds of mutants who have trouble coping with their mutations.
Social expectations in X-Men are generally the same when it
comes to masculinity and femininity. I intend to show how both
female and male mutants become more masculine because they
are granted with power.
Lastly I wish to explore the reverse gender roles and the degree
of masculinity in the movie Million Dollar Baby, directed by
Clint Eastwood. This film is revolved around female boxer
Maggi Fitzgerald. When Maggie is diagnosed with a severe neck
injury her representation as a female boxer is evaluated in many
different ways. Jay Dolmage, author of the Disability Studies
Quarterly, argues that this film uses false imagery to portray
Maggie’s masculinity. Initially, Maggie is presented as this
invincible athlete; and then transformed into a weak and painful
person because of her disability. The medical model comes into
effect because there are times where this movie falsely depicts
disease and disability and instead shows this idea of
helplessness. Maggie’s masculinity is undermined as she fights
to get back into the ring. Ultimately, Million Dollar Baby
counters the social expectation of gender norms. Boxing is
viewed as a man’s sport. This film takes on a feminist
viewpoint showing that a woman is just as capable as any male
athlete. I wish to incorporate all of these ideas into my essay
while generalizing on the fact that each of these crucial themes
pertains to disability.
Critical Sources:
Carpenter, Rick “Disability as Socio-Rhetorical Action:
Towards a Genre-Based Approach” Disability Studies Quarterly
31.3 (2011). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Chaplin, B.J. “Representation of Disability in the Film 300.”

4. Disability Studies Quarterly 28.4 (2004). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
DeVega, Chauncy “What Does Avatar Tell Us About Disability”
Disability Studies Quarterly. 28.5 (2009). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Dolmage, Jay. “I Cannot Be Like This Frankie.” Disability
Studies Quarterly. 25.2 (2005). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Dolmage, Jay. “Responding to Million Dollar Baby: A Forum”
Disability Studies Quarterly 25.3 (2005). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Harris, Daniel “Mutatis Mutandis: An Emergent Disability
Aesthetic in X-Men” Disability Studies Quarterly 24.1 (2011).
Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Peterson, Michael “I See You: Gender and Disability in Avatar”
Disability Studies Quarterly 24.5 (2010). Web. 3 Apr. 2014.