The development of third-wave feminism is attributed to writer Rebecca Walker, who first
coined the term in 1992. Third-wave feminism is debated as lasting through the mid 2000s, until
the movement was tentatively succeeded by fourth wave-feminism (Diamond 184). Throughout
its history, the exact definition and subject matter of third-wave feminism have been debated;
however, an accepted tenet of third-wave feminism is the rejection of “women” as a universal
category of identity. Instead, third-wave feminism emphasizes intersectionality and the
individual experiences of women, and much literature on third-wave feminism is culled from
first-person narratives. Third-wave feminism accounts for disparate factors such as race, religion
and sexuality, recognizing that femininity is too heterogeneous for the outdated and limited
categorization of women from second-wave feminism (Snyder 184).
The purpose of this interpretive research essay is to establish that Jurassic Park functions as
an early marker in the visual representation of third-wave feminism in popular American cinema,
utilizing feminist theory for its theoretical framework. To support this thesis, this essay applies
textual analysis to Jurassic Park, coding for specific scenes that support a feminist interpretation.
Textual analysis, a prominent research method for analyzing media content, is used to
distinguish “between the primary, linguistic meaning of a [media] text’s component parts and the
secondary, or textual meaning which those parts acquire through a structuring process internal to
the text or to the genre” (Altman 15). Textual analysis includes several different systematic
methods, including rhetorical criticism. Rhetorical criticism, which is utilized for this essay, is
used to identify and explicate persuasive messages embedded in communication texts by their
authors, intentionally or otherwise (Jasinski, 2001). This analysis is subsequently compared and
contrasted with a literature review composed of relevant texts regarding third-wave feminist
ideologies.
Analysis
Besides Sattler, the other major female character in Jurassic Park is Alexis “Lex” Murphy,
Hammond’s teenage granddaughter. Both Sattler and Lex are strong female characters that
demonstrate independent agency. Most notably, it is Sattler who restores power to the park
during the film’s climax, and Lex who reboots the park’s security’s systems. Sattler’s own
feminism is made explicit in both the novel and film. In the novel, when Hammond’s lawyer
expresses surprise that Sattler is a scientist, exclaiming, “You’re a woman,” Sattler dryly
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