Weighing in on Wonder Woman: Analyzing Gardner Fox's Writing for Potential Sexism

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Date

2017-09-06

Authors

DeRoss, Jennifer

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Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

Wonder Woman is seen as the embodiment of feminism in the comic world and her placement as the secretary of the Justice Society of America is seen as a crime against her character. Many blame Gardner Fox for this decision, but I argue that accusing him of sexism is an oversimplification. My work seeks to fill in the lack of knowledge regarding his writing of Wonder Woman and restore his name. While scholars are right to be attentive to the use of demeaning stereotypes that have long been used to keep women from access to power, the way in which Gardner Fox wrote Wonder Woman, conveys a sense of respect for women and their contributions to society in general; therefore, assertions that he is a sexist are not only misleading but inappropriately degrading the work of a man who was trying to accurately represent the women he saw around him.

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Keywords

Feminism, Gardner Fox, Secretary, Sexism, William Marston, Wonder Woman

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