Diana, the Challenger: A Feminist Figure of Power and Salvation in Hollywood Feminist Fantasy Wonder Woman (2017)

Jenkins (2017) Wonder Woman is a portrayal of traditional role of feminism, in which masculine traits including courage, strength, leadership, independence and assertiveness are used to overwhelm male-dominant society, while manhood as a masculine trait is challenged by a woman constantly striving for power and authority. Marriage is shown as a failed philosophy in the movie, while men are shown just a minimal need to procreate. ‘Wonder Woman’ has an extensive gay male and lesbian fan base. This task approaches Wonder Woman with a semiotic and cultural examination to perceive how her character is comprised of some syntagmas that empower this sort of identification like same-sex society, battling bigotry, discovering one's place, and flourishing in transformation. The analysis shows that the virtue of fighting for peace in Diana has been compromised with the amalgamation of feminists’ radical approach. She has been presented as a female rebellion, while the rightful cause of the care-taker feminists has been degenerated by the amalgamating of bad feminism with good feminism.


Introduction
portrays the labyrinth of ideas in Wonder Woman regarding feminism.
The script of the movie is dynamic and provides the heap of ideas regarding gender orientation.
The two different societies have been portrayed in the movie; the females' society and the males', but leverage between both the genders is idealized with the supremacy of one gender over the other. The feminist narrative in the movie challenges the subtle ideas of sexual It is a matter of fact that human gene can never survive without the mutual contribution of both the genders. Neither male nor female alone can proceed with the legacy of procreation to preserve human species. Thus, as both the genders have equal contribution in procreation and preserving human genetic code, likewise the contribution of both the genders in nation-building is also equally important. The consecutive attacks from radical feminists clarify that they are not able to tolerate men on earth as Farver (2011) explicates Andrea Dworkin's famous quote in her book Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed by a Radical Love. She said that I want to see a man beaten to a bloody pulp with a high heel shoved in his mouth, like an apple in the mouth of a pig (Farver, 2011). Dworkin's imagination of wearing high heels is a psychological issue, for which she considers men the sole culprits. Modern day radical feminists try to carry forward their agenda from a much bigger platform and it makes their so-called civilizing mission easy. But the question remains that whether womenfolk in general agree to what they demand, or they criticize them for their queer identity struggles. The pro-family movements in Canada and America are its ultimate examples. The supporters of pro-family movements were largely women, who spoke against feminism. This anti-feminist movement criticized feminism for splitting both the genders and sabotaging family system in many of developed countries including US and Canada (Steuter, 1992). When it was asked about the supporters of WAF (Women against Feminism), they opposed feminism by arguing 'we don't need feminism because it ignores male problems like rape and suicide. They hate men, treat minority like a tool and spread hatred through their speeches (Keseredy & Leonard, 2015).
Jenkins ' (2017) Wonder Woman is the articulation of female power-surge out of her Disney land. Diana has been portrayed in the movie as the mouthpiece of modern day radical feminists. Jenkins (2017) has left no chance to criticizing men's behavior as incompetent. They are shown as morally corrupt and weak, but the more thrilling it gets when female rebellious nature is advocated by Jenkins (2017) in most of the action scenes of the movie. It is an irrational approach of radical feminism against men because rational and logical approach can never be subsided by irrational and illogical reasoning.

Literature Review
The ideology of maleness is constructed by society for males' performance for scarce resources in social struggles, a set of principles that propels common interests by overwhelming inner restrains. Real men provide their people more than they take and never abandon them, even to the mark of self-sacrifice. Subsequently, masculinity may be viewed as a nurturing idea.
Gender is a figurative category, attributive, socially relative and potentially changeful. Hence, it is important to examine masculinity from both historical and social viewpoints. Masculinity and manliness, which have been underestimated and were for all intents and purposes untouched for an extended period of time in the present male-dominated social orders, have been taken up as an object of study for the initial occurrence. The investigation of gender ought to consider both the genders, men and women (Toshiko, 2014).
The traditional definition of masculinity is now subsided by the new version of definitions. It is a common observation towards men images represented on the bill-boards and magazines, newspapers and television screen as 'new men' formerly as 'wounded men'. This is a reactionary response towards feminists' attempts of unwrapping masculinity and reasserting male perquisites (Faludi, 1992). According to Brittan (1989), this portrayal is not for men's power but it forms representation. Presently, as previously, the term 'men' is utilised as a plain widespread classification to represent humankind overall. Over the last 20 years, women's activists have challenged the philosophical and material entailments of such certain male inclination. Ironically the rationale of feminism as a political position has regularly required the thought of 'men' as a solitary, oppositional class. Establishing their situation on the attestation that 'the individual is the political', feminists have constantly instigated clumsy questions about the state of affairs in both the academy and the community (Caplan, 1998).  Cornwall and Lindisfarne (1994) argue in the introduction of Dislocating Misculinity, if we look at the more extensive scholarly foundation to our study and draw on the new ethnographies of our authors to address regarding human sciences, a portion of the political and intellectual issues raised by feminists and postmodernists. In this regard, our situation as gendered member in current discussions about masculinity is significant. We interrupt the premises that underlie a lot of ongoing composition on and by men, regardless of whether it has a place with the ordinance of men's studies or is crafted by anthropologists, like Gilmore (1990). In this manner, we offer another viewpoint for looking at gendered identities and undercutting prevailing chauvinisms on, which sexual orientation, race, class, and different hierarchies depend (Kimmel, 1987;Brod, 1987).
The 'Wonder Woman' stories with sexual sadomasochistic pictures like subjugation, 'masters and slaves and men groveling at the feet of women' (O'Reilly, 2005, p. 274) were used in the middle of twentieth century to empower women. She is a feminist symbol, who represents a robust image of women's autonomy. She is seen this way for the reason being an Amazon. Averett (2009) argues that patriarchy is needed to be dismantled only then can women be empowered. There must be a 'Wonder Woman' for challenging patriarchy. Hook (2013) being an intersectional feminist, critique of patriarchy and its challenges argued that crisis men are confronting with are not, regarded with masculinity but these are the crisis of patriarchal masculinity. In her essay Understanding Patriarchy, she uses a radical approach towards challenging masculinity with using the name of patriarchal challenges. Her primal consideration in the essay revolves around the supremacy of women through knocking down men's authority not only in a clan but in every field of life. If feminists are asked to analyze men's issues, you will generally get an extremely clear answer; males are in crisis because females are challenging male supremacy. Women are questioning men to share the public reins and men can't bear it.
Hook (2013) considers that one can get a better diagnosis by asking antifeminists about men's troubles. She uses a word 'conservative pundits' for moderate intellects, who give answers to the raising slogans of radical feminists. However, they think that women have crossed the boundary line in the name of equal treatment and are presently trying to take control of men and set on the throne. The basic message is that men can't be men, just eunuchs, in case they are not in charge. Both the feminists and antifeminists opinions are established in a peculiarly present day American perception that to be a man means to be at the controls and consistently to feel yourself in charge (Hooks, 2004).
In her essay, Hooks (2004) not only challenges patriarchy but her ultimate goal is to challenge men's masculinity, who leaves no stone unturned to give better life to his wife and children. Therefore, feminists of the right wing look for very menial and minor excuses to set aside the sacrifices of men and even ignore their equal partnership in the procreation of human species on planet earth. Society's sexual orientation pattern considers muscles and strength as manly and favor women's bodies slim with unseen muscles. Both moderate and non-moderate lifters shuffle the sex mapping with respect to estimate. To non-lifters, it has all the earmarks of being size, muscle or fat that is the powerfully dreaded crime against femininity (Rikke, 2019). Jones (2018) tells in his article that gender politics of 'Wonder Woman' is equivocal and the stunning exhibition of the film veils a hidden character structure in which Diana and her description is extremely dependent on the character of Steve Trevor.

Research Design
The present research has analysed Jenkins ( dialogue, the background and setting of the movie was compared with the characters and plotline. Finally, watching the movie being an observer, researcher and feminist critic, the biography of the director of the movie was studies with an unbiased lens. Thus, going through this process, the literature review was synthesised to provide a research gap, it was quite a challenging task to analyse Wonder Woman (2017) from the perspective of both good feminism and bad feminism, because the character of Diana has been portrayed active on both sides. Her virtue can never be defiled with evil as she constantly strives for power to defy it, but the society she has grown up, considers men the cause of bringing catastrophe on this earth. It is suggested in conclusion that how feminism can be best suited in this modern world.

Data Analysis
The new depiction of Diana has additionally been scrutinised for its correction of her history and its violence. Following 70 years, Diana is as of now not brought into the world in a nonaggressive matriarchal society, rather she is the result of her mother's relationship with Zeus.
The Amazons are presently not harmony adoring and interminable, rather they repeat by engaging in sexual relations with passing mariners, selling any resultant male posterity into subjugation in return for weapons. Diana has demonstrated that she is speedier to viciousness also, and has killed her long-standing most outstanding adversary Ares to turn into the goddess of War herself. With such various establishments, her many years old interesting mission to teach Amazonian 'lessons of harmony and fairness' appears to have fallen away (Cocca, 2014).
Diana is also presented as sexually autonomous (Jones, 2018). Though, she has the super-powers and has the ability to challenge patriarchal world, but her overwhelming ambitions make her journey tough and hard. She compromises her love for power and becomes an imminent figure of salvation. She constantly challenges men's masculinity but her inner power-surge compels her to do so, it is nothing else but her inner masculinity, which let her challenge the opposite binary force to invade.

Challenging Masculinity
Feminism in its societal and academic prospects has done a lot for the rights of the females especially suburban women of the lower social status, but when this topic is engrossed with the notion of hegemonic hierarchies, the radical feminists after the third wave have left a The male and female are both the better half of the dynamic core of society. They are the equal counterpart of society. Their being trustworthy towards each other makes their journey smooth, but when doubts and suspicions are created on any side, the main engine is derailed and their journey becomes tiresome and crucial. The masculinity of men is challenged throughout the movie with a rapid discourse. When Captain Trevor escapes from the German army and fights besides Amazonians, it does not convince them to trust Trevor, only for his being a man. He is put into trial because they do not trust men easily. 'What the hell is this thing? The Lasso of Hestia compels you to reveal the truth' (Jenkins, 2017, 00:23:46 shown in the movie that the purpose of creating women was to restore peace to the earth (Jenkins, 2017, 00:07:21).
Diana was a challenger, who wanted to prove her masculinity through a shield, her strong armor, the Lasso of Hestia and her golden bracelet. But inspite of all these instruments, her femininity allured men. The real armor she had, was her inner virtue and enchanting beauty. It is one of the best shields of the world, which can protect her from evil forces and corruption. She challenged Ares to demolish corruption and restore peace to the earth, but her masculinity was in the soul not in her physical appearance. Gal Gadot as Diana, the leading character in the movie was criticised by her fans for the small size of her breasts. When she was asked about it, she said that this is the new world 'Wonder Woman'. Breasts could be bought for 9,000 shekels (Rikke, 2019). This is her masculinity, which compelled her to response like that. But when she surged for power, she even tried to look tougher like men. Culturally, males' bodies are acknowledged for their size, strength, solidity and muscles, which equates them for the ability to dominate and protect, manufacturing the patriarchal narrative of male dominance. On the other hand, females' bodies in cultural paradigm are associated with sex, nature and childbirth, which disengage them with the ability of domination but physical submission (Carpente, 2018 (Jenkins, 2017, 00:47:13).
In this part of the movie, the masculinity of men is confined to their sexual desires only. thing, but Steve's response by replying 'a watch' shows that how long does it last. Watch is the perfect example of changing time and tide. It is shown that time will prove when this little thing is useless. Diana tells Steve that 'men are essential for procreation but when it comes to pleasure, unnecessary' (Jenkins, 2017, 00:43:43).
The role of both men and women in society is pivotal for their own delicate businesses.
The notion of womanhood is as important as manhood is considered. The domestic chores and giving birth to children is a delicate business, which preserve the human gene in society. They both have equal partnership in society building and preserving the human species. Masculinity and manhood demand men to face the more diligent and hard jobs for the members of the clan.
The changing tide of the modern world can even not deny these delicate businesses. Women are impregnated and protected from dangers by men. They will do the most toilsome labors to provide for the family members. Male ideology works under the concept of high performance to strive for scarce resources and invade for the collective interests of society. They are not considered real men without serving their people more than they take, even to the extent of selfsacrifice. Thus, it could be said that manhood is a nurturing concept (Toshiko, 2014  making 'Wonder Woman'. It is Lepore, who strongly claims that Wonder Woman was made by feminism but to what extent, however, feminism was remade by Wonder Woman (Fidler, 2016).
There is plenty of literature available rationalising the claim of the feminists for making Wonder Woman as a first step towards the liberation of women. When they are asked about the narrative of birth control and its articulation in the Wonder Woman of the twenty-first century, their ultimate response in this paradigm give leverage to its consideration in early twentieth century Wonder Woman's. It is taken for granted that birth control issue in Jenkins' (2017) Wonder Woman is the same as it was in earlier twenty, but it could be vividly observed in Steve: I will sleep with you if you want (Jenkins, 2017, 00:41:45).
The social bond of marriage not only legitimises sex but it is cherished for procreation. domain and adultery in social domain. Gay and lesbian queer theory even in this modern age has no rigorous inspiration to legitimise its confinement without marital bond. However, the nurturing concept of babies in patriarchal societies restricts women to their domestic responsibilities, which needs a cautious attention on both academic and social paradigms. Career women in this dynamic lag for their future ambitions, which needs a stimulus drive. Friedan (1974) gives an account of women's hard core issues of both career and household in her book The Feminine Mystique. She argues that before the finish of 1949, just one out of three female heroines in the women's magazines was mentioned as a career woman and she was displayed in the demonstration of revoking her career, finding that what she truly needed to be was a housewife. In 1958 and 1959, she went through many an issue of the women's magazines tracking down a solitary heroine having career, a pledge to any work, profession, art or specific mission in the world, than to be a housewife. Only one out of hundred heroines was indulged in some job, even the youthful unmarried girls did the same in order to find a husband.

Sex without legal bond of marriage in this modern world is still considered sinful in religious
These new cheerful housewife heroines appear to be oddly more youthful than the vivacious profession young ladies of the thirties and forties. They appear to get more youthful all the timein looks, and an innocent sort of reliance. They had no vision of the future, but to have a child.
The main dynamic developing figure in their realm is the baby. The housewife heroines are perpetually young, on the grounds that their own picture closes in childbirth. Like Peter Pan, they should stay youthful, while their youngsters grow up with the world. Keep on having babies, in light of the fact that the feminine mystique says there could be no alternate way for a woman to be a heroine (Friedan, 1974).
The creation of 'Wonder Woman' tends to empower women generation after generation, but it bends them towards some realities with the changing tide. If feminists go forwards with a clear goal and fight for the legal rights, it will remove obstacles from their proceeding mission. She finishes her conversation with telling that men are necessary for procreation but not for sexual pleasure. In the next scene a baby is shown weeping in her mother's arms. Diana rushes towards the baby, but Steve stops her by telling, 'no babies'. That one is not made out of clay' (Jenkins, 2017, 00:48:21). The streets of England are portrayed with people so reckless, not to care even for a baby. It is shown in the scene that men celebrate war but don't care for its people. In this part of the movie the mutual contract of marriage is criticised for its sexual confinement only, partners in the streets of England holding each other's hands, talk about war only. War between England and Germany is the war of the flesh, which will feed on its people and men in authority will enjoy their desires in the confinement of marriages. English women are also criticised for their submission to men's authority. Despite that, her own silver cuffs symbolises her voluntary submission to Aphrodite (Chavez, 2017). It could be seen in one of the last scripts written by Marston (1941) for Wonder Woman that the only real happiness for anybody is to be found in obedience to loving authority (Marston and Peter 1948

Diana, an Ambitious Savior
The mysterious plane crash of Captain Trevor in the Island of Themyscira gives rise to the beginning of familiar but utopian ideals of social reforms, initially used by Marston (1941) and later on by Jenkins (2017). It portrays an image of gender-reversal that becomes an unceasing visual trope in comic history. Diana becomes the savior of Trevor and thus she fells in fascination to him. However, her love for Captain does not make her vulnerable and subsequent female but it is the strength of her muscles, which is needed to be focused. She saved Trevor after his plane was crashed and held him in her arms while ripping sea water apart. In 1947, with collaboration of Harry G. peter, Marston created a hero, who was shown to save a helpless female from destruction, which he attempted to empower females for their look after and discovering their physical and economic stability. These images taught women to do things that they conceive to do and be strengthened to earn your own livings (Emad, 2006).
In Wonder Woman ( Captain, you will do nothing and that is an order.
Trevor: Yes, Sir. I understand sir.
Trevor: Diana: I know this is confusing.
Her arguments with the British officers about armistice strategy portray her ambitions towards her unfinished goal of killing Ares and freeing the world from his wrath. Diana does not agree with them while armistice for peace is the greater concern for men but she is not agreeing.
Her ambitions compel Captain Trevor to support her in carrying out a secret mission against German army, but causes Steve's death in the finishing scenes of the movie (Jenkins, 2017, 02:01:07), which she herself mourns in the rest of the movie. Her training in the island makes a worst kind of image of men, which she does not trust easily. This is why, she consider their strategy irrational and illogical. Her ambitions rule over the character and she considers war as the ultimate source of getting what she really wants. When Steve sacrificed his life to destroy German squadron, she then realises that world without Steve is meaningless. These are her inner emotions which appealed her, stronger than defying ambitions.
Marston ( feminist message that he wanted to convey was that an able-bodied female, strong and passionate superseded the men, which was basically accepted as a symbol of superior sex in that era. Moreover, the notion that women needed to be greater than men for getting equal opportunities in male-dominated society has also been reversed (Delaney, 2014). Jenkins (2017)  It can even not be saved with bullet stopping bracelet or golden Lasso (Fidler, 2016).
In Marston (1941)  Trevor's affection; she was rather motivated with it. She was never superseded by it in pursuit of liberty and equality for all (Yockey, 2012). Jenkins (2017) dominated Diana with more subtle aspiration to achieve her goal but her love for Trevor was given little space in Wonder Woman (2017). Her love for Trevor remains unconcealed till his demise.
It is not astonishing that the iconic figure of female super-heroine is intellectually and physically superior to male she rescues (Matsuuchi, 2012). In Wonder Woman (2017) (Jenkins, 2017, 02:08:59). It is her power-surge that made her invincible, but tears in her eyes is a symbol of spontaneous overflow of conscious feelings. She wishes to be reunited with the other half of her equal counterpart, but her feminist ambitions and power-surge let her standing alone in love arena, it is love authority which can make feminists agreeable on common terms, beyond any protocols.
She proves her power in the battlefield but her love for Steve remained unexplored. Her real test starts, when she seeks power in binary sex. Being a princess of Themyscira, she is blessed with elevated status, but when she sets off for the battle and leaves the island, she leaves behind this legitimate status of power. Her adept power is going to be demonstrated in a battlefield (Urick, 2018 (Jenkins, 2017, 01:14:16). She left the battalion behind and confronted the machine guns firing from the other side. This was the point where Steve's masculinity was at stake. It was challenged by a woman having super powers, a bullet stopping bracelet and a strong shield. She tried to stop bullets through her bracelet and shield, but the actual shield which helped her in stopping the machine guns was Steve himself and those men, whom she was not trusting in the past. She defeated the whole army and saved innocent lives but it was not her victory alone, it was the victory of virtue over evil, which became possible through the mutual bond of both the sexes. It is the equal contribution of both men and women towards a common goal.

Conclusion
Jenkins (2017) Wonder Woman is a feminist fantasy, glorifying a super-woman, who did not stop till achieving her goal. This movie is set in a war-torn Europe of the 1940s. Ares, the god of war had corrupted the minds of the human beings and they had turned against each other.
Jenkins (2017) has put men's jealousy and corruption into trail. In the very beginning of the movie Hippolata, queen of the amazons is shown to teach her daughter Diana about leadership protocols through how Amazons were created by Zeus to wipe out evil and restore peace to the earth. She told her that Ares poisoned men's hearts with jealousy and suspicion (Jenkins 2017, 00:07:05). This feminist lesson was engrossed in her soul, and she started looking to the world with a feminist lens of considering men responsible of all the misdeeds. Diana followed these rules wholeheartedly and her inner masculinity was aroused for cleansing all evils till restoring peace to the earth, but her feminine surge was never suppressed. She was fascinated with Captain Steve Trevor; in him she sought a man of all judicious skills and confidence.
Affirmation of the historical requirement for feminism subsists, but just to show that feminism is no more needed. The Issue of female discrimination or sexual victimisation is excused as something older-fashioned. Thoughts from women's rights are evoked to undo feminist critiques (Tucker, 2011). During the analysis, the character of Diana is analysed from undermining the radical ideology of post-feminism. It is concluded that the challenges of the 21 st century are different, which are not easy to be solved through the Lasso of Hestia. Women's rights in the middle of the 20 th century were more rationalized because females were confined to the more delicate businesses while their very basic rights were not granted. In contemporary age, Diana is needed to abide her will to the state and incorporate herself for the welfare of humanity beyond gender differences, because fighting for a greater cause needs to function beyond gender protocols.
McRobbie (2008)  are needed to address the very common issues of women in third world countries. Jenkins (2017) is needed to portray Diana in a much natural setting of far-flung African and Asian countries to fight for the sub-urban women, whose femininity is spoiled by throwing acid at their faces; they are constantly defiled and dispossessed. Challenging such kind of radical patriarchy is one of the big challenges, needed to fight against. If Jenkins (2017) still tries to fight for the rights of the queer lesbian/gay community, it is indeed the deterioration of Marston ideology of women's empowerment. Marston (1941) wanted to depict the notion of a woman role model fighting for all the sub-urban females, who were unable to fight for their basic rights. The world needs a 'Wonder Woman', who can fight besides men against evil forces. Her masculinity should not be a threat for men, but they should take it as a common gender attribute. If she does the same, every man she comes across will be Captain Trevor, it is a point indeed where she can find consolation and her power-surge and glory will reach to an end.