Joker = Ideological Approach

Question 1

Marxism =

Answer 1

• The film portrays the alienation and dehumanization faced by the working class
• Reflects the class division, Arthur is an impoverished individual failed by the system with inadequate support . His spiral is exacerbated by the brutal economic conditions around him
• Arthur’s transformation is a direct result of systemic oppression in an inherently exploitative society which leads to his descent into madness
• Arthur is alienation from society and becomes disconnected from their humanity due to the dehumanizing effects of capitalism
• His is marginalised and ignored by society where his humanity is overlooked. This alienation is a direct result of capitalism’s prioritising profit. Joker is a manifestation of the desperate need for a sense of power and agency which has been seemingly stripped
• Gotham is a corrupt, decaying environment with poverty and political corruption
• His systemic failure of services around him reflects how the working class are underfunded and ignored
• Capitalist societies fail to address the needs of the vulnerable which pushes individuals further into the margins of society
• Joker can be seen as a form of resistance against a system which relentless oppressed them. It can reflect the false class consciousness and need for a revolution of systemic inequality
• The media portray Joker as a form of mass consumption as he is manipulated and ignored by society. It reflects how the ruling elite are able to distort this rebellion into profitable entertainment which prevents a real substantive change
• Arthur is shaped by brutal economic conditions which is the creation of a villain which is the result of a capitalist society pushing him to the edge
• Arthur can be seen as a representation of the underclass where he has little financial stability or personal fulfilment
• He lives in a rundown apartment building in a city plagued with inequality
• He is socially alienated representing the feelings of underclass

Question 2

Feminism =

Answer 2

• Penny Fleck is portrayed as helpless and emotionally unstable who is defined by her victimhood. Women are portrayed as victims and side lines acting as plot devices that revolve around the male characters psychological development
• Sophie is seen through the lens of Arthur’s perception who is a construct of his romantic fantasies
• It is an example of the male gaze where women’s identities are shaped by the male desire and their perception. She is an object of Arthur’s affection
• This represents how women are seen to serve the male character’s emotional needs rather than in their own autonomy
• His resentment of women can be seen as a sense of emasculation and social failure which explores the dangers of toxic masculinity where men are socialised to expect emotional and sexual validation which then turns to violence.
• There is no strong or empowered female characters whereas women are reduced to passive or victimised roles which reflects patriarchal limit. They are secondary characters who revolve around Arthur’s emotional turmoil. It reinforces the patriarchal narratives that ignore women’s experiences

Question 3

Post-Colonialism =

Answer 3

• Joker deals with the systemic power and class oppression which have formed from a colonial ruling
• Arthur is dehumanised in society who is treated as mad and lesser
• His descent into Joker reflects a rebellion against his imposed identity resisting the labels placed by colonial powers
• The ruling class maintains power trhough economic inequality where the elite live above the suffering of the poor
• The state withdraw from any sort of support which reflects how postcolonial states reproduce neglect and inequality
• Jokers mask becomes a tool for resistance and fighting back
• Joker can be seen as a class revolution and people who are marginalised which reflects colonial rebellions and a breakdown of historical colonial control