Work

Disrupting Masculine Hegemony: Feminist Stylistics and the Discursive Construction of Vulnerable Masculinity in The King’s Speech (2010)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study draws upon Sara Mills’s Feminist Stylistics framework and examines how the biographical film, The King's Speech (2010), reconfigures power and masculinity by disrupting hegemonic norms. The film centres on King George VI’s struggle with a debilitating speech impediment against the backdrop of patriarchal monarchical traditions. Through close analysis of key linguistic and discursive features, including metaphor, pronoun usage, modality, lexical choices, and ideological framing, this research investigates how language destabilises hegemonic masculinity and constructs alternative narratives of male identity. The findings highlight how the interplay between vulnerability and power disrupts traditional norms of masculinity, positioning emotional openness and relational dynamics as integral strengths. The study subsequently critiques the patriarchal foundations of leadership and demonstrates how discourse can reimagine masculinity through feminist perspectives. By illustrating how films such as The King’s Speech challenge binary gender constructs, vulnerability is not framed as a form of weakness but as a site of transformative power and resistance, advocating for inclusive and equitable representations of masculinity. Keywords : critical discourse analysis; feminist stylistics; vulnerable masculinity; feminist media critique; film discourse

Source: 3L The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies

DOI: 10.17576/3l-2025-3103-04

Author: Nur Syuhada Mohd Radzi

Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

Language: English

Topic: Gender Studies in Language

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $300