PSYCHOLINGUISTIC PORTRAYAL OF NEBULA (MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE): THEMATIC ANALYSIS
Abstract
The paper focuses on the thematic analysis of a Marvel Cinematic Universe female character speech. Nebula features two Guardians of the Galaxy franchise films and two Avengers films. She represents two cinematic archetypes, namely the antagonist Backstabber and the protagonist Father’s Daughter. The plot twists involve time travel, which results in coexistence of two Nebulas: the villain Past Nebula and the antihero Present Nebula. The psycholinguistic thematic patterns of the character’s speech are the means to evaluate the character’s morality and her perception by the viewer. First, two broad themes were formulated: What defines the Backstabber psycholinguistic portrayal? / What defines the Father’s Daughter psycholinguistic portrayal? Consequently, five common codes for each theme were developed to demonstrate the similarities between the archetypes (based on the same protoarchetype): 1) the character’s primal need for belonging; 2) the group Nebula strives to belong with; 3) the group missions she participates in; 4) her attitudes towards the group members; 5) the heroine’s characteristics in the narratives of other characters and self-referential narratives. Splits in codes depict speech peculiarities of the antagonist (the Backstabber) and protagonist (the Father’s Daughter) embodiments of the archetype. The Backstabber’s need for belonging is not met, while the Father’s Daughter is accepted and appreciated in the group. Past Nebula is an integral part of several villainous groups, actively participating in genocidal missions. Present Nebula joins protagonist groups in their heroic salvation missions. The Backstabber envies, hates and despises other characters, while the Father’s Daughter learns cooperation and having fun with newly found friends. In the rhetoric of other characters, Past Nebula is referenced with names having negative connotations, while Present Nebula is called by titles with neutral or positive connotations. The Backstabber sees herself underestimated and unable to change; the Father’s Daughter is appreciated, loved and open to new possibilities.
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