Analyzing Different forms of Feminism in How to Get Away with Murder


The hit show How to Get Away with Murder aired in 2014, nearly one decade ago. The six seasons included a variety of characters, new adventures, and one storyline that kept the audience coming back for more. 


This series takes numerous hegemony stances and reinforces a message that ties in with Sellnow’s Feminist Perspectives. The main character - Annalise Keating - is a black, highly educated, single woman. 


Throughout the series, Annalise Keating defies typical gender roles and strengthens her role as a successful woman. She deals with hardship, loss, and sexism, yet perseveres into a stronger educator. All of these attributes seem to contribute to the series’ success. While this is just one example of one series that takes these positions, this leads into the main question - are more shows likely to take this storyline position?


Sellnow (2022) points out the sites of struggle when it comes to taking a feminist perspective. She also states that oppositional readings may include a woman with a different race, sexual orientation, ability, etc., for example. However, it seems like these forms of oppositional pop culture texts have become more of the norm and seem to run with the times. 


While reading Sellnow’s three-step analysis and thinking about this show, it is evident that this show could easily be subject to conducting a feminist analysis. For example, it’s an appropriate pop culture text to analyze, and the interpretations are significant. 


The second step would be to evaluate and interpret the text. Throughout the course of the show - and it may be because the times became more friendly towards newer perspectives - Annalise became more proud of who she was as a woman. Whether that was because she is black, bisexual, a woman, or all of the above, she verbalized these perspectives as the show continued.


The third step would be to look at the potential outcomes of the text, and it would make more sense for upcoming and current pop culture texts to take this position, as it’s become more of the norm. Additionally, this kind of influence could play a significant role in an upcoming wave of feminism - if there is a fourth wave. 

Comments

  1. Tasha LeeFebruary 1, 2024 at 9:15 AM

    Great post and I love HTGAWM. But I was curious of your statement "Throughout the course of the show - and it may be because the times became more friendly towards newer perspectives - Annalise became more proud of who she was as a woman. Whether that was because she is black, bisexual, a woman, or all of the above, she verbalized these perspectives as the show continued." I wondered if these changes to Annalise' character was progressive or exploitation? She wasn't bisexual until bisexuality was embraced by the public.

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