EXPLORING FEMININITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION THROUGH FEMINIST CRITICISM IN “KOMI-SAN CAN’T COMMUNICATE”
Keywords:
Literary Criticism, Feminism Gender Stereotype, Femininity, Self-expression.Abstract
The representation of women in popular media often reproduces ideal constructions of femininity shaped by patriarchal values, such as beauty, silence, and obedience. The manga Komi-san Can't Communicate is an interesting example because it features a visually ideal female character who experiences limitations in expressing herself. This study aims to analyze the representation of femininity and Komi Shouko's struggle for freedom of expression using Beauvoir's existentialist feminist perspective. This study uses a qualitative approach with content analysis of the first volume of Tomohito Oda's manga Komi-san Can't Communicate. The data is analyzed through indicators of femininity and self-expression, including verbal and nonverbal aspects, supported by representation theory and the concepts of voice and silence. The results show that Komi's femininity is represented through the stereotype of the ideal woman, which emphasizes beauty, silence, idealization, and immanent conditions, placing her as an object in patriarchal constructions. However, this manga also shows Komi's struggle to achieve transcendence through subtle expression strategies, such as the use of writing, gestures, and silence as a medium of agency. These findings show that women's freedom and existence are not always realized through vocal resistance, but can also be achieved through negotiation of existing social boundaries. Thus, this study contributes to enriching feminist studies in popular media by showing the complexity of representations of femininity and the process of achieving female subjectivity in contemporary manga
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