Violence on Women, Violence by Women:

A Study of Marvel’s Jessica Jones as a Postfeminist Series

Abstract

Marvel’s Jessica Jones (2015-2019) subverts gender roles, portraying
a significant number of women in power positions usually played by
men. The show presents the protagonist Jessica as a rape survivor who
is motivated to help another victim of sexual abuse. Jessica and other
characters demonstrate how victims of violence, traumatized as they
are, would be prone to committing further violence. Additionally,
violent acts are presented as tools to avenge victims of violence.
Consequently, this leads to three specific situations: women making
choices for themselves, acting similar to men, and being more (hetero)
sex-positive. These three criteria are indicative of postfeminist concerns
and help to conduct a critical discourse analysis of Jessica Jones, with
focus primarily on season one, as a postfeminist series.