Wynonna Earp: An Atypical Western Representation

Wynonna Ea p: An A ypical Wes e n Rep esen a ion Ana Bea iz da Piedade Simão Disse ação de Mes ado em Li e a u as e Cul u as Mode nas Es udos Ingleses e No e-Ame icanos No emb o, 2021 Disse ação ap esen ada pa a cump imen o dos equisi os necessá ios  ob enção do g au de Mes e em Li e a u as e Cul u as Mode nas – Es udos Ingleses e No e-Ame icanos, ealizada sob a o ien ação cien í ica da P o esso a Dou o a Isabel Oli ei a. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A hea el hank you To P o esso Isabel Oli ei a, a huge hank you o he guidance and suppo h oughou his pe iod o cons an sel -doub . To my pa en s, o he cons an suppo and guidance h oughou his pe iod, and o e all, my en i e li e. I is wi h pa en s such as mine ha one g ows o being able o d eam and o belie e ha we can do wha we wan i we pu ou minds o i . To my sis e , Ana and b o he -in-law Rica do, o hei cons an suppo and belie in my capabili ies. A hank you is no enough. To my nephew, Xa ie , o keeping i simple and un, some hing ha only a child can do. To my boy iend, Valé io, o suppo ing me and keeping i easy h oughou he exci ing as well as ha d pa h o w i ing. To he iend I g ew up wi h, Ana, and also o he new ones, o always making me laugh and suppo ing me e en when I el ha I had oo much going on. The pandemic made i di icul , bu wi h each o you, we made h ough wi h ligh in ou eyes. No hing can ake ha away. Wynonna Ea p: An A ypical Wes e n Rep esen a ion Ana Bea iz da Piedade Simão ABSTRACT This disse a ion deals mainly wi h Beau Smi h’s Wynonna Ea p (1997), a comic se ies, as pa o he ee alua ion he wes e n gen e has been going h ough. The Ame ican Wes , a space whe e men domina e and e y ew women ha e been allowed in, is also a main ocus, since some emale cha ac e s who ha e been unde mined and o he s who ha e h i ed will be sc u inized in wo ks such as The Vi ginian (1902) by Owen Wis e , Wes wo ld (2016) by Jona han Nolan and mo e ex ensi ely, Wynonna Ea p, in mediums such as comics and ele ision. Likewise, he social and poli ical changes b ough on wi h ime will be a he co e o his wo k as hey help o elucida e and desc ibe how he wes e n has been e ol ing in he way i ep esen s women and allowing hem o become he oes in a space and na a i e whe e he igu e o he cowboy has been idolized and my hicized in Ame ican his o y. Wynonna Ea p demons a es he p og essi e ideas o ou ime and shows how pe sis ence migh be cen al o change. KEYWORDS: Wynonna Ea p, wes e n, comics, Ame ican li e a u e, cowboy, my h, s e eo ypes, change. Wynonna Ea p: Uma Rep esen ação de um Wes e n A ípico Ana Bea iz da Piedade Simão RESUMO Es a disse ação analisa p imo dialmen e Wynonna Ea p (1997), uma banda desenhada da au o ia de Beau Smi h, como pa e da ea aliação de que o wes e n em sido al o. O Oes e ame icano, um espaço maio i a iamen e ep esen ado como masculino, onde poucas mulhe es êm sido deixadas en a , ai se igualmen e um dos en oques, is o que se á analisado como algumas das igu as emininas êm sido es e eo ipadas e ou as consegui am desen ol e -se em ob as como The Vi ginian (1902) de Owen Wis e , Wes wo ld (2016), de Jona han Nolan, e p incipalmen e Wynonna Ea p, em géne os como a banda desenhada e a ele isão. Além dis o, momen os polí icos e sociais conside ados ulc ais ão es a p esen es, sendo analisados em conjun o com o mencionado an e io men e, pois elucidam e ajudam a desc e e como é que o wes e n em indo a e olui na o ma como ep esen a a igu a eminina e como em c iado, cada ez mais, na a i as com he oínas. Assim, Wynonna Ea p em, ao mesmo empo, e ela ideias ino ado as do nosso empo e mos a que a pe sis ência em sido undamen al pa a a mudança. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Wynonna Ea p, wes e n, banda desenhada, Oes e Ame icano, cowboy, mi o, es e eó ipo, mudança. Table o Con en s In oduc ion p. 1 Chap e I. The Classic S e eo ypical Female Cha ac e Ou Wes p. 6 1.1 The Vi ginian (1902) by Owen Wis e : The Model p. 6 1.2 Shane (1949) by Jack Schae e : The S e eo ypical Woman wi h a Rebellious Side p. 13 1.3 Wes wo ld (2016-2020): The Libe a ion o Chained Women in he Imagined Wes p. 20 1.3.1 Dolo es Abe na hy: F om he Damsel in Dis ess o he Leade o he Species p. 23 1.3.2. Mae e Millay: F om he B o hel’s Madam o Wa io Mo he on a Mission p. 27 1.3.3 Po ai o Women in Wes wo ld p. 30 1.4. The Mandalo ian (2019-2021): Ca asyn hia Dune he “New Soldie o Women” p. 33 CHAPTER II: Wes e n Comics: Women in and ou o Re ige a o s p. 38 2.1 Image Comics: Wynonna Ea p p. 40 2.2 IDW Publishing: The New Wynonna Ea p p. 47 CHAPTER III: Ou o he Re ige a o : Tele ision Adap a ion o Wynonna Ea p p. 56 3.1 F om Reluc an He o o Righ ul He o o an Imagined Wes e n Space p. 61 3.2 Readap a ion o Wynonna Ea p om Showing o Telling p. 89 CONCLUSION: The Pe sis ence o Female He oes in he Wes e n p. 95 Wo ks Ci ed p. 99 1 In oduc ion The Eme gence o a New Wes e n He o: Women as He oes The ‘ul ima e s uc u e’ o me ana a i e, in e ms o he Wes , has been a se ies o dominan s o ies o my hs old o e ime and endowed wi h massi e cul u al powe , such as he P omised Land, Mani es Des iny, Tu ne ’s on ie hesis, each o which sough o encompass and de ine he Wes . Taken oge he and o e ime, hese my hs con ibu e o he cons uc ion o a discou se ha de ines he Wes in he consciousness. Neil Campbell, The Cul u es o he Ame ican New Wes (2000), 6. The discou se o he wes e n gen e has always been imme sed in my hs, encoding i s na a i es wi h a powe ul symbolism which popula cul u e consumes a idly. Wha e e he media h ough which he wes e n is p esen ed – mo ies, ele ision, li e a u e, music, among o he s – he my hical wes e n ha became amous and ex emely success ul and aluable almos always in ol es he igu e o he male he o, he cowboy. Richa d Slo kin, in Gun igh e Na ion: The My h o he F on ie in Twen ie h-Cen u y Ame ica (1993), e e s o he use o my h as ollows: [My h] [o] e ime h ough equen e ellings and deploymen s as a sou ce o in e p e i e me apho s, he o iginal my hic s o y is inc easingly con en ionalized and abs ac ed un il i is educed o a deeply encoded and esonan se o symbols, “icons,” “keywo ds,” o “his o ical clichés.” (5) The main he o o he Ame ican Wes , he cowboy, became a amous icon whose se o alues and mo ali y echoed h oughou popula cul u e, oo ing i sel in Ame ican his o y. Wi h he cowboy as an icon, he na a i es abou he Wes u ned his imagined space in o a masculine domina ed a ea whe e ew women we e allowed, acco ding o he mos gene alized wes e n s o ies. Viewing he wes e n as limi ing women is a common idea when one alks abou he wes e n and i s he oes. Howe e , i he wes e n is mos ly a male 2 domina ed gen e and space, i has also been a space o women, e en i i po ays mainly wo ypes o women: he damsel in dis ess o he p os i u e wi h he hea o gold. These wo po ai s o women a e he mos common in wes e n na a i es, and al hough hey a e es ic i e and de imen al, he e ha e been o he oles gi en o women h oughou ime and some s o ies o eal women ou Wes esu aced, which ha e been helping o ques ion he wes e n as a male domina ed space. Ma k Wilde mu h, in Feminism and he Wes e n in Film and Tele ision (2018, 37), men ions se e al emale cha ac e s who appea ed in ele ision se ies and mo ies, such as Annie Oakley (1935) and Calami y Jane and Sam Bass (1949). Neil Campbell also no iced how he wes e n has mul iple na a i es which in he end ell he same s o y, ha o male he oism and emale unde mining: This my hic discou se, p oduced by selec i e his o y, li e a u e, isual a s, and popula cul u e, cons uc s an ideological amewo k o g id ha au ho izes and p i ileges he dominan s o ies o he Wes . Such my hs ha e o be examined closely because hey dis o by na u alizing his o y, hollowing i ou in o a nea , closed, unambiguous p ocess. (2000, 6) Th ough Campbell’s wo ds abou how he gen e picks, closely and selec i ely, he s o ies i ells, i can be a gued ha when i comes o elling women’s s o ies in he Wes , he gen e s ill has a long way o go in allowing space o women o explo e and o ha e oles in na a i es in which hey a e mo e han seconda y cha ac e s used o male he oes o en ich hei he oic ad en u es and pe sonali ies. Hence, e en i he wes e n con inues o ha e p oblems when i comes o he way i add esses emale oles in i s na a i es, especially om he wen ie h cen u y un il oday, he e ha e been impo an de elopmen s in his gen e which ha e accompanied impo an igh s o equal ep esen a ion be ween he sexes and acial equali y in media such as cinema and ele ision. The e o e, mo emen s, as The Women’s Righ s Mo emen and he Ci il Righ s Mo emen , helped Ame ican cul u e become mo e willing o e lec on i s inne p oblems and in he image, i po ayed o i s people. These mo emen s impac ed o he mediums, such as comics in which he supe he o gen e was, and s ill is, che ished by popula cul u e. Pa adoxically, mo emen s such as Feminism bo h p ized and c i icized emale he oes like Wonde Woman (1941). Female he oes we e lo ed and c i icized simul aneously because, on he one hand, hey embodied ai s like independency and s eng h, which eminis s we e igh ing o , and on he o he hand 9 "Why, he e's a skunk," said I, no icing he p e y li le animal o ing in on o us a he edge o he hicke s. “Oh, whe e is i ? Don' le me see i !" sc eamed Molly.” And a his deeply eminine ema k, he Vi ginian looked a he wi h such a smile ha , had I been a woman, i would ha e made me his o do wha he pleased wi h on he spo . (158) Again, as in he i s example, she ac ed acco dingly, and so did he Vi ginian, demons a ing how he was supe io o he by ac ing unsu p ised and una aid. As a man om he Wes he ac ed as he s ong p o ec o , and Molly, a woman om he Eas , wi h li le con ac wi h na u e, ac ed as i she needed p o ec ion. He was he he o and he p o ec o o Molly, he woman in need o help. No ice he na a o ’s wo ding, such as “deeply eminine ema k” and pa icula ly he sexual innuendo o he es o he sen ence. Fu he mo e, ano he impo an momen om he no el ha demons a es how women we e po ayed in he wes e n always in need o p o ec ion, e en om ha sh wo ds and he u h is when he qua el be ween he Vi ginian and T ampas, he illain, is explained: “I was his code ne e o speak ill o any man o any woman. (…) In his scheme, good women we e o know only a agmen o men’s li es (…) She should know he s o y o his qua el in language as ligh and casual as he could eil i wi h” (282). While he ies o ind he igh and ligh e wo ds, he alks abou he di e ence be ween men and women by gi ing an example o a es less nigh he spen a a ho el because o he empe o he woman in he oom nex doo : “Once I had o sleep in a oom nex a ladies' empe ance mee in'. Oh, hea ens! Well, I couldn' change my oom, and he ho el man, he apologized o me nex mawnin'. Said i didn' su p ise him he husbands d ank some.” (283). Thus, once again, Molly is he shel e ed woman who should only know abou a ce ain pa o he li e o he man she was going o ma y, and e en i he Vi ginian is elling he abou his oubles wi h T ampas, he chooses his wo ds ca e ully, so as no o dis u b he agile and p ecious mind. Addi ionally, he e a e o he wo examples ha con ibu e o he iew o Molly as a classic example o he s e eo ypical wes e n woman. The i s example is when he Vi ginian is old no o go change his clo hes o his wedding a i e and o keep he ones he had on, because he would need he mos eedom o mo emen in he duel wi h T ampas. Molly does no unde s and he meaning behind his seemingly simple eques since she is innocen and unawa e o he ue and iolen eali y 10 o he Wes , e en i she had al eady seen he kind o jus ice and law ha exis ed in he Wes , he kind o aking jus ice and he law in o one’s own hands. The example is: Bu he Vi ginian had aken Scipio's meaning. "DON'T CHANGE YOURS CLOTHES." Innocen Molly app ecia ed hese wo ds no mo e han he a e age eade who eads a mas e piece, complacen ly unawa e ha i s s yle di e s om ha o he mo ning pape . Such was Scipio's in en ion, wishing o spa e he om ala m. (286) The na a o ’s desc ip ion o how Molly was obli ious o he eal in en o hose wo ds, u he helps o lowe emale cha ac e s in he wes e n, demons a ing ha women in he Wes end be le ou o he iolence ha exis s in e e yday li e o he men, and ha hey as supe io beings only wan o p o ec women. The wes e n by lea ing women in he pe iphe y o public li e, demons a es ha he e a e wo sphe es — he p i a e and he public — and a on ie be ween hem, which women a ely lea e. I hey e e pu a oo in he iolen public space, i is only o beha e as he cliché woman who, a i s , su p isingly, s ands up o he iolence and he need o men o esol e hings wi h hei guns, and decide ha i he male he o wan s o use iolence, hen hey would no con inue o be oman ically in ol ed wi h he male he o. Bu , when women inally ake a s and, and decide some hing by hemsel es, o en hei ini ial esol e c umbles, and hey accep back he male he o. This is wha happens in he second example when he Vi ginian and Molly a gue abou he upcoming igh wi h T ampas, and Molly wan s he Vi ginian o lee. Howe e , she inds ou ha he Vi ginian canno lea e own because o his a ogance and manliness, and she decides she canno ma y him a e all, since she does no unde s and he need o iolence and mu de : "Can' yu' see how i mus be abou a man?" he epea ed. "I canno ," she answe ed, in a oice ha sca cely seemed he own. "I I ough o, I canno . To shed blood in cold blood. When I hea d abou ha las all, — abou he killing o hose ca le hie es, — I kep saying o mysel : 'He had o do i . I was a public du y.' And lying sleepless I go used o Wyoming being di e en om Ve mon . Bu his — she ga e a shudde — "when I hink o o-mo ow, o you and me, and o — I you do his, he e can be no o-mo ow o you and me." (297) Howe e , as men ioned be o e, his does no las , and Wis e , h ough he na a o ’s oice, u ns he in o a cliché, because once she saw ha he Vi ginian was sa e, she o go abou 11 hei di e en opinions abou iolence: “Thus did he New England conscience ba le o he end, and, in he end, capi ula e o lo e. And he nex day, wi h he bishop’s blessing, and M s. Taylo ’s b oades smile, and he ing on he inge , he Vi ginian depa ed wi h his b ide in o he moun ains” (302). In he end, he cowboy and he Wes we e supe io o he woman’s ideals om he Eas , meaning ha masculini y and iolence as a means o jus ice and law we e supe io o he Eas e n no ions o jus ice and law. Addi ionally, he Wes is a space whe e men’s ideals a e abo e he women’s, since men ac on bo h p i a e and public sphe es. Women a ely had ha op ion o a ely did hey ake i upon hemsel es o be pa o bo h a eas. Rega ding Wis e ’s opinion o he Wes and o women, Tompkins w o e abou he in luence o women in Wis e ’s li e, especially his mo he , Sa ah Bu le Wis e (1835-1908). In e es ingly, hei complica ed ela ionship had e iden consequences on his iew o women, because he cons an sc u iny and judgemen oge he wi h he de imen o his heal h, led Wis e o he Wes , a space ee o women’s con ol. As Tompkins a gues, he Wes “was he place whe e a new b eed o men was coming in o being, whe e adi ion mean no hing and he weak we e being winnowed ou by he p ocesses o e olu ion.” (137). Fu he mo e, besides his p oblema ic ela ionship wi h his mo he , his unhappy ma ied li e also migh ha e con ibu ed o his iew o women, and consequen ly o he c ea ion o Molly Woods as a woman who ma ched he classic s e eo ype, and did e e y hing acco ding o he desi es o he male p o agonis . Ul ima ely, Molly was c ea ed in acco d wi h Wis e ’s opinion. Tompkins e en ela es he cha ac e o Molly o Wis e ’s mo he , and a gues: His mo he was e e y hing he Wes was no : socie y, a , manne s, as e, inhe i ed weal h, good b eeding, a li e o leisu e in exquisi e su oundings — e e y hing exclusi e, disc imina ing, and gen eel. The Vi ginian’s iumph o e Molly — hei “exchange” o “posi ions,” he “su ende ,” his becoming “mas e ” — makes sense when one conside s Wis e ’s need o be independen o his mo he , wi hou losing he ega d. (143) The e o e, h ough Tompkins connec ion be ween Wis e ’s mo he and Molly, i seems clea ha he la e cha ac e would be based on he women he knew. Hence, ano he example om he no el ha demons a es Wis e ’s opinion o women, and consequen ly hei ep esen a ion in he wes e n is seen in he las pa ag aph o The Vi ginian: 12 Some imes she missed he Bea C eek days, when she and he had idden oge he , and some imes she decla ed ha his wo k would kill him. Bu i does no seem o ha e done so. Thei eldes boy ides he ho se Mon e; and, s ic ly be ween ou sel es, I hink his a he is going o li e a long while. (314) In he las pa ag aph o he no el, Wis e ocused on he longe i y o he male he o and on he wo ies o Molly abou he husband’s wo k. The las in o ma ion he eade has o he main he o is ha he will li e long, and he e is no in o ma ion abou Molly’s longe i y. The e is only e e ence o he child en ha she ga e bi h o and he wo ies. F om his las pa ag aph he idea o women as mo he ly, docile, and subse ien is s ill a wo k, and wha ma e s o many o wes e n w i e s and hei admi e s is he male p o agonis . Howe e , he e is an example in he no el ha demons a es a di e en side o Molly, a side ha should ha e, and could ha e been mo e explo ed i he w i e saw women di e en ly. Molly in his example could be desc ibed as sel less, esilien , and s ong because she sa ed he Vi ginian om ce ain dea h a e Indians a acked him. Bu , as his could ha e been he glo ious momen in he wes e n, when he main he o was sa ed, i was uined because he said ha Molly had o be he man in cha ge: “You ha e go o be he man all h ough his mess.” (207). So, he e is a e e sal in oles, making Molly he emale he o, and he Vi ginian he one needed sa ing. Bu , in he he oic momen , she had o be a man, because only men could be ough, s ong, sma and endu e, making ha d decisions o su i e in he Wes . In addi ion, Molly alls in o he s e eo ypical emale beha io by nu sing he Vi ginian back o ull heal h, making Molly he classic nu u ing and docile example o women who ake ca e o o he people’s heal h. Mo eo e , his was he momen in he no el when he emale cha ac e sa ed he male p o agonis all on he own, and i could ha e been he momen ha made Molly s ep ou o he domes ic sphe e in o he public wes e n space whe e men like he Vi ginian domina e. She did s ep ou o he sa e and p o ec ed domes ic space in o he dange ous Wes , bu she did i as a man, no as a woman. Wis e makes ha clea when he male p o agonis associa es Molly’s cou age and s eng h o men’s quali ies, as i women we e no able o he oic and sel less ac s hemsel es. Will W igh , when analyzing lo e in he wes e n, a gues ha “(…) independen women a e a ac i e o men, bu oo much independence is dange ous. Socie y can only be ci il i lo e makes women dependen , so decen women mus wan 13 lo e mo e han independence.” (2001:153). In The Vi ginian, his is wha occu s, since in he end Molly wan ed lo e mo e han he own eedom and independence. In addi ion, as i was e e ed be o e abou he Vic o ian no el and he es ic ion o women o he domes ic space, i should be said ha mos o he wes e ns c ea ed in he wen ie h cen u y (and e en nowadays) e lec his image o women ha has, om Wis e ’s no el and o he wes e n wo ks by au ho s such as Louis l'Amou , de eloped in o he classic image o women in he Wes . W igh a gues ha con inuously es ic ing women o he p i a e and domes ic sphe e is he way o keeping a balanced social o de . Ne e heless, he also admi s ha women in eali y canno s ay only in one sphe e, and when hey lea e i , hey h ea en ha social o de . Thus, acco ding o W igh , he wes e n always ies o keep women in check. When hey s ep ou o ha space, no mally: 1- hey a e pushed back by he male he o; 2- he woman is he illain, and is killed; 3- inally, she admi s ha she made mis akes and dies in he he o’s a ms. Wha e e he end, as W igh a gued “(…) ma ke assump ions equi e women o admi e and obey men, no o h ea en hem. (…) Women should s ay in he amily, in hei iew, while men compe e in he ma ke , so he amily can be s able, and he ma ke can be ci il.” (151). The Vi ginian se he cou se o he wes e n o g ow apidly, and as i became he wes e n’s model o ollow o he es o he wen ie h cen u y, women like Molly Woods appea ed massi ely h oughou ime, becoming he model o emale cha ac e s in he Wes . The e would be excep ions like Wonde Woman and Annie Oakley who we e independen and powe ul p o agonis s in he wes e n public space. Bu he excep ions a e ew, and he e would s ill be a long ime un il o he in e p e a ions o womanhood appea ed and le a ma k in he Wes . None heless, i was om excep ional women like he ones men ioned be o e ha he wes e n de eloped and s a ed o accep and inco po a e impo an emale na a i es. 1.2. Shane (1949) by Jack Schae e : he s e eo ypical woman wi h a ebellious side (…) he independen women ound in o he pos –Wo ld Wa II wes e ns ini ially appea o be h owing o he shackles o adi ional gende oles, bu in he end (…) hey ha e o be escued by men, hey ollow he male’s lead, and ul ima ely hey wind up accep ing domes ic bliss. Richa d Aquila (2015) 14 The Cold Wa (1947-1991) was an e a ha ma ked almos e e y aspec o he USA. Consequen ly, i a ec ed he discussion o gende in Ame ican socie y challenging he ypical oles o men and women. Mainly, men con inued o ake he ole o p o ec o and women he ole o he domes ic docile nu u e , bu as Aquila a gues his pe iod o he Cold Wa saw a e ision o “(…) women, mino i ies, immig an s, and you hs; hey ein e p e ed he oles played by indi iduals, amilies, socie y, and go e nmen ” (167). I was a pe iod when women wo ked and s udied mo e, making pa o he labo o ce, and en olling in colleges and uni e si ies. Hence, wes e n no els and ilms du ing his ime con inued o ha e adi ional opics o amily and ma iage, bu hey also e lec ed on hese changes in he way men and women we e pe cei ed. The e o e, as Aquila summa ized his e a was “(…) cha ac e ized by powe ul and con adic o y o ces swi ling wi hin he cul u e o he Cold Wa . Pos wa wes e ns p o ide e idence o consensus and con lic , as well as con inui y and change.” (167). Subsequen ly, a wes e n no el ha le i s imp in and modeled he igu e o he cowboy was Jack Schae e ’s Shane (1949), which es ablished a change and g ow h in he s e eo ypical ision o he emale cha ac e s in he Wes . Schae e ’s Ma ian S a e shows, wi h some ai s ha will be discussed u he , a de elopmen om Wis e ’s Molly Woods. The wo au ho ’s li es- Wis e and Schae e - a e socially and his o ically di e en , and ha has o be aken in o accoun . Ne e heless, as much as Wis e and Schae e li ed in di e en imes wi h ac i e changing ideas o he ole o women in socie y, he u h is ha be o e Wis e he e we e al eady emale w i e s ha we e ahead o hei ime by he way hey saw hemsel es and wha hey could do o he socie y and cul u e hey li ed in 2 . Thus, we can say ha Wis e ’s pe cep ion o women could be somewha jus i ied. Maybe because women w i e s el he lack o igh s and oppo uni ies hemsel es, hey ended o be mo e libe al o hei emale cha ac e s, and male w i e s did no know how i was ealis ically. Shane is se in 1889, in Wyoming, bu i was in luenced by he change b ough on by he Cold Wa . The i s example ha will be used is he momen when he woman 2 Female w i e s such as Ma y Aus in Holley (1784-1846), and Eliza Fa nham (1815-1864) w o e abou he way o li e in he Wes . Holley’s Texas (1833) and Fa nham’s Li e in P ai ie Land (1846) alked abou he wes e n’s way o li ing, and o en imes e lec ed on eal issues o he Wes such as he se e e exploi a ion o he land and he ways o li e in he Wes o ecen ly a i ed emig an women. (Kolodny: 98) 15 cha ac e is in oduced, a e he mys e ious Shane a i ed a he S a e homes ead, and he is in i ed o dinne : She was p oud o he cooking, was mo he . Tha was one hing she lea ned back home (…) ha was o some use ou in his aw land. As long as she could s ill p epa e a p ope dinne , she would ell a he when hings we e no going igh , she knew she was s ill ci ilized and he e was hope o ge ing ahead. (1975:11) F om his desc ip ion, Ma ian’s cooking is in oduced o he eade , and i is impo an o e e o his example because as he skill ulness is in he ki chen, he woman in he Wes is once again pu in he place, he domes ic sphe e. Mo e han ha he e is an almos humo ous in en when he na a o (Ma ian’s son Bob who is elling he s o y when he is al eady an adul bu emembe ing wha had happened when he was a young boy) s a es ha Ma ian’s cooking would be a kind o wa ning o some hing changing. As his is he momen in he no el when he eade is gi en some in o ma ion on who she is, he i s hing ha i is said is ha he bes skill is domes ic, and i is in he ki chen whe e she decides how li e is going o he amily. She could ha e been in oduced in o he ways ha made he cha ac e look less as he s e eo ypical wes e n p o o ype o women and mo e like a capable wes e n woman ha had skills as he mo he ly igu e, bu also was mo e han ha , an in elligen woman capable o making he own mind and ad ising he men a ound he . Consequen ly, his example does pu Ma ian in he emale space o he wes e n and con ibu es o he s e eo ypical image o women in he Wes . Howe e , Schae e gi es Ma ian a ew ins ances in he no el when he eade can see ha she was mo e han he classic woman in he wes e n space. These momen s will be discussed la e on, bu i s i is impo an o no ice ha Schae e allows he mo e spo ligh han o he emale cha ac e s, al hough she was also o en e used om u he con ibu ion o he men’s discussions and diminished as he woman who had some wise easoning behind he a gumen s, bu as she was no a man, he opinion would no be gi en mo e c edi . Ano he example when i is demons a ed ha Ma ian only oams in a es ic ed sa e space can be seen in Joe S a e ’s wo ds: “Ma ian’s igh . Only she doesn’ go a enough. These ains a e sho . Bu hey su e mess up he oad.” (Schae e :17). F om his example, i can be no iced ha he place whe e she wande s is he sa e es ic ed space o he Wes ha has been ans o med om he wilde ness in o ci iliza ion. She does no go 16 in o he unp edic able and dange ous space ha Shane seemed o be used o. She would always s ay in he wes e n space ha was ci ilized by men. Addi ionally, ano he ins ance ha pu s Ma ian in he box o he s e eo ypical woman is when she asks Shane abou he new ashion ends, and hen appea s wi h he new ha p oudly in on o he men: She was he eshes , p e ies hing I had e e seen. She had aken he ha and s ipped he old ibbon om i and ixed i as Shane had old he . (…) She had cu sli s in he b im and he sash om he bes d ess (…). She was s epping along dain ily, migh y p oud o he sel . (32) F om his example, women in he wes e n a e always linked wi h ci iliza ion, and Ma ian is no di e en . Again, jus as Molly, she was a school eache who ma ied and came Wes because he husband p omised a be e li e o hem, and a place ha was hei own. She pe soni ies ci iliza ion by being he symbol o mo he hood and aking ca e o he house while he men wo k ou side ying o ame he wilde ness o he Wes . She ies o s ay connec ed o wha women do and wea in o he places, ying o keep a pa o he sel ha in he Wes would p og essi ely be o go en, since ashion was no he mos impo an hing, su i al was. Ne e heless, he e a e a ew ins ances ha make Ma ian a mo e complex cha ac e han Molly Woods in The Vi ginian. The i s example occu s when he men a e discussing he igh be ween Shane and Ch is, he man who wo ks o he illain, Fle che , and Ma ian calls he husband ou o being w ong: Be o e anyone else could push in a wo d, mo he was speaking. I was su p ised, because she was upse and he oice was a li le sh ill. “I wouldn’ be oo su e abou ha , Joe S a e . I hink you’ e made a bad mis ake.” “Ma ian, wha ’s go in o you?” “Look wha you’ e done jus because you go him o s ay on he e and ge mixed up in his ouble wi h Fle che ” Fa he was edging owa d being pee ed himsel . “Women ne e do unde s and hese hings.” (…) “Oh Joe, can’ you see wha I’m alking abou ? I don’ mean wha you’ e done o Ch is. I mean wha you’ e done o Shane. (102-103) Thus, Ma ian gi es he own opinion abou he ma e being discussed, despi e wha he men hough o he , making he husband unde s and he change ha was b ough o Shane by he qua el in he communi y. Joe S a e had no seen i ye , bu Ma ian did, demons a ing ha women a e mo e han p e y aces and mo he ly igu es in he wes e n. She showed ha she was in elligen and able o s and o e he men’s opinions. Fu he mo e, ano he example occu s when he husband and Shane we e igh ing 17 Fle che ’s men, and she decided o s ay and see i o he end, despi e he husband elling he o lea e: “You wai ou a he wagon, Ma ian. Mo gan’s had his coming o him o qui e a long ime now and i ’s no o a woman o see.” Mo he shook he head wi hou mo ing he eyes now om Shane. “No, Joe. He’s one o us. I’ll see his h ough.” And he h ee o us s ayed he e oge he and ha was igh , o he was Shane. (122) Ma ian is s ill in he side-lines, no pa icipa ing in he igh , bu he beha iou owa d dange and iolence and he e usal o do wha he husband said, demons a es a de elopmen o women in he wes e n. This migh ha e o do wi h he social changes b ough on by Wo ld Wa II and he Cold Wa in which women became much mo e ac i e and in ol ed in hei communi ies and in Ame ican socie y and cul u e. Thus, while in The Vi ginian Molly did no e en lea e he ho el oom o see i he iancé was okay when he wen o igh T ampas, in Shane, Ma ian wen a bi u he and s ayed, wa ching he igh un old in on o he eyes. Molly was p o ec ed om all he iolence, and Ma ian while s ill being p o ec ed by Joe and Shane, was able o demons a e ha women can s ep ou o he domes ic sphe e. Schae e did no ake he in o he unexpec ed wilde ness o he Wes alone, she was su ounded by men, and hus ha does b ing in o ques ion how much she dis anced he sel om o he s e eo ypical emale cha ac e s in o he no els and ilms, bu i is an imp o emen om o he emale cha ac e s ha do no ge he chance o decide o s ay o s ep ou o he ci ilized and sa e space o he domes ic sphe e. Addi ionally, he e a e o he ins ances in he no el ha demons a e he in luence o Ma ian on he wo men a ound he , and one o hose can be seen when she is alking o he husband Joe: “Bob’s igh , Joe. We can’ le Shane down.” I was quee hea ing he say he same hing o a he she had said o Shane, he same hing wi h only he name di e en . (…) “I know Joe. Bu you don’ see a enough.” (…) “I can’ eally explain i , Joe. Bu I jus know ha we’ e bound up in some hing bigge han any o us, and ha unning away is he one hing ha would be wo se han wha e e migh happen o us.” (149-150) Ma ian’s easoning is used by he o emind Shane and Joe o wha was impo an in hei igh o sa e he communi y. I is he in luence on he male igu es and he capaci y o decide on he own ha pu s Ma ian wi h a oo ou o he s e eo ypical ca ego y o he 18 emale igu e in he wes e n ha exis s basically o be he oman ic pa ne o he male p o agonis and o be he woman ha nu u es he house. She ep esen s he classic woman in he wes e n ha nu u es he domes ic sphe e, and he igu e ha ep esen s ci iliza ion and eason, bu Schae e made he a bi mo e ebellious han he s e eo ypical emale igu e, by making he be ce ain o wha she wan ed, lo ed, wan ed o p o ec , and he own belie s. Then, al hough she s ill emb aces he s e eo ypical beha iou o women in he wes e n, she also shows new a ibu es like us a ion and ange when she sees ha he men a ound he we e no hinking easonably. As al eady men ioned, his migh ha e o do wi h he changes b ough on by he Cold Wa , in which gende and sexuali y s a ed o be pe cei ed di e en ly. Richa d Aquila e e s o his change, when he alks abou Ma ian in he mo ie Shane (1953): (…) Ma ian S a e does no i he i ies s e eo ype o he con en housewi e. (…) some hing is missing in he li e. He es lessness an icipa es by a decade o mo e simila us a ions ha we e implici (…) and unleashed by he sexual e olu ion o he la e six ies and se en ies. (168) The same happens in he no el e en i i was published ou yea s ea lie , since a e he Second Wo ld Wa , women we e much mo e ac i e in socie y, and consequen ly hey slowly s a ed o change i , making i mo e equal o men and women. Ma ian’s pe sonali y demons a es an e olu ion and a somewha ebellious cha ac e di e en om o he emale cha ac e s like Molly Woods, and also because one can a gue ha she was in lo e o a leas di ided be ween wo men, which is di e en om o he no els and ilms in which he emale cha ac e is in lo e only wi h he male p o agonis . When Shane knocks ou Joe o p e en him o go and igh he illain, i is in e es ing o no ice ha Ma ian does no immedia ely go ake ca e o he husband. She s ays o alk wi h Shane be o e he goes o mee Fle che : “She had no mo ed since he appea ed in he doo way, no e en when a he ell, and he able ee e ed unde he hands on i s edge. She was wa ching Shane, he h oa cu ing in a lo ely p oud line, he eyes wide wi h a swee wa m h shining in hem.” (168). Ma ian’s a en ion was no on he husband e en when he ell a e Shane bea him wi h his gun; he a en ion was cen e ed on Shane, he o he man she seems o ha e allen in lo e wi h, a e he husband. Aquila again e e s o he same inciden in he ilm saying: S a e ’s wi e is equally complex. No doub , emale iewe s in he i ies, an e a ha glo i ied emale domes ici y, could ela e o Ma ian, who appea s o be he 25 in dis ess, and consequen ly needed o emb ace a ibu es no mally seen in men such as iolence and leade ship. This demons a es a leas wo aspec s: 1— she chose o inco po a e a male pe sona in o he own mind, e en a e all he auma ha o he male igu es like Fo d had in lic ed on he ; 2— Dolo es inco po a ing a male pe sona o be able o igh back and kill, ques ions o wha ex en Dolo es’s choices can be ega ded as p ima ily emale, and ul ima ely Wes wo ld as ha ing a eminis pe spec i e. In Season Two, Dolo es is s ill playing a na a i e c ea ed by Fo d called “Jou ney in o Nigh ” in which she plays he leade o he ebellion. Thus, e en i she was able o ee he sel in Season One, she is only slowly gaining he capaci y o achie e ee will. She is s ill pa ly ollowing he las na a i e Fo d c ea ed be o e he was killed. Fo d was no able o inco po a e ee will in o he hos ’s p og am, so he c ea ed a na a i e wi h elemen s ha would s uc u e he hos ’s e olu ion o ee will. I was s ill up o hos s like Dolo es o choose, making mis akes along he way, as Fo d old he gues s in he las episode o Season One: “So I began o compose a new s o y o hem. I begins wi h he bi h o a new people... And he choices hey will ha e o make... And he people hey will decide o become.” Subsequen ly, in Season Two he spec a o sees he ac ess who plays Dolo es, E an Rachel Woods, swi ch h oughou he season om one exp ession o ano he , meaning ha in ce ain ins ances Dolo es is p esen , while in o he s i is Wya when iolence is needed. Dolo es’s na a i e in Season Two is an impo an one o analyze because e en i he e is he use and in luence o a male pe sona in he ac ions, Dolo es is he one who looks o an escape om sla e y o he species. Th oughou he season, she igh s and kills a big numbe o hos s (excep Mae e) ha do no see he same ou come as she does, and e en i he use o iolence and killing migh seem excessi e, Dolo es jus wan s a chance o he people o su i e. Mo e han ha , in his season he e is a b oade ques ion: o h i e and decide who hey wan o be wi hou any sc ip s and na a i es ha decide hei ai hs. Con a y o he o he wo emale cha ac e s p e iously analyzed who we e con ined in he amed wes e n space and unde he dominance o masculini y, Dolo es igh s pa ia chy and explo es new e i o ies, lea ing he ma k in he wo ld whe e she was c ea ed and wan s o lea e behind. While Molly claimed ha she would no accep he Vi ginian i he ough T ampas, bu in he end she did, and Ma ian ne e hough abou lea ing he S a e homes ead, Dolo es wen u he by killing he c ea o , and by ying o lea e he space ha had been c ea ed o he species o be explo ed and ensla ed. 26 In some ways Dolo es’ cha ac e explo es he mis ep esen a ion o women in he wes e n space, c ea ing and eimagining a space in he Wes whe e women s and on hei own ee and a e in he spo ligh . In addi ion, in Season Th ee, Dolo es inally lea es he pa k and mo es o he human wo ld whe e humani y li es con olled by a machine called Rehoboam, and a human Se ac. Dolo es’ objec i e is now o help libe a e humans om ha con ol. Season Th ee will be he las analyzed since he se ing changes om he wes e n space o he ci y landscape, demons a ing a bigge in luence o science ic ion. Wha is impo an is he g ow h shown in Dolo es’ cha ac e o using ee will in Season Th ee. In he p e ious season, she did no belie e humans dese ed a chance o change and be be e , bu in Season Th ee she le s humani y choose hei own u u e because o one human, Caleb, who c ea es hope in Dolo es’ mind o a b igh e u u e. Then, she helps libe a e hem since she belie ed ha he e was s ill hope o hem. She shows pe sonal g ow h and ha she had ee will o change he mind abou humans. Ac ually, ha is made clea in episode eigh “C isis Theo y” when Dolo es s a es ha “F ee will does exis , Caleb. I ’s jus ucking ha d,” demons a ing ha she s uggles wi h he decisions jus as humani y does, bu ha she uly had ee will o a leas belie ed in i . The closes in Season Th ee ha we see Dolo es back in he wes e n space is when in episode se en “Passed Pawn” she eminisces abou he pa k o Wes wo ld: “I li ed in hell. Bu he e was beau y in i . The pa k was modelled a e his place. The Wes was... c uel, unjus , and chao ic... bu he e was a chance o cha you own cou se. I wan a place o my kind... and o all o us... o be ee.” In he same episode, she alks abou he i s ole in he pa k: “Fo he i s 35 yea s o my li e, I was a bi playe . A anche 's daugh e . And when he ime came, I knew I had o be mo e.” Subsequen ly, om hese wo quo es he Wes was ha d, and he li e was es ic ed and con olled, un il she was able o b eak ee om he cage. Dolo es e ol ed om he damsel in dis ess o he leade o he ebellion agains Delos, he company ha owned Wes wo ld, and inally in Season Th ee she became a cha ac e he spec a o saw as nei he he o o illain, a cha ac e who had no hing ou o he o dina y ei he physically and men ally, bu jus someone who knew ha he ai h o he wo ld should no be in he hands. As Dolo es says in episode six “Decohe ence” speaking o Mae e: “You wan me o be a sain . Bu you' e no sain . You' e no a illain, ei he . And nei he am I. We' e su i o s.” Dolo es is shown o be a lawed cha ac e , nei he a sain no a illain, jus a su i o who had o e ol e o be able o escape he li e ha was p og ammed in o he mind. 27 Th oughou he h ee seasons o Wes wo ld Dolo es changes om he classic ole o he anche ’s daugh e who only oamed in he Abe na hy homes ead and he own o Swee wa e in o he s ic , enge ul, ebellious cowgi l and leade o he hos s’ ebellion. In Season Th ee she e en acknowledges ha he e was mo e o humani y, and hus e ol ing in o a mo e ca ing cha ac e . She is s ill ebellious and capable o iolence, bu she ies o he pa hs be o e slaugh e ing e e yone who s ood in he way. This e olu ion h oughou he h ee seasons, demons a es ha Wes wo ld ques ions he gap be ween male and emale na a i es old in he wes e n space. The se ies a emp ed o equally ep esen bo h male and emale s o ies, bu wha is in e es ing o no ice is he way hey de eloped he emale libe a ion o cha ac e s such as Dolo es and Mae e om classic, and a i s banal pe sonali ies in he wes e n, o ully complex hos s ha made he spec a o ques ion how eache ous humani y can be. By explo ing emale na a i es in he wes e n space, he se ies helped in he e ision and ein en ion o he my hical Wes whe e masculini y and men we e ully ep esen ed, and women and eminism we e silenced and mainly used as seconda y o ado n he males’ na a i e. Mae e Millay’s cha ac e , a b o hel madam, also helps he se ies ques ion he ole o women in he wes e n space. 1.3.2. Mae e Millay: om he b o hel’s madam o wa io mo he on a mission In con as wi h Dolo es’ cha ac e , Wes wo ld had Mae e Millay play he b o hel’s madam in Swee wa e , he opposi e ole o Dolo es. Jus like Dolo es, Mae e was one o he i s hos s o awake and unde s and he na u e. Howe e , di e en ly om Dolo es who wan ed o escape and sa e he species om ex inc ion and con ol, Mae e was only in e es ed in he own s o y. She wan ed o sa e he daugh e Delos had sc ip ed in o he , e en i she knew ha he emo ions and memo ies owa ds he gi l we e all pa o an inco po a ed na a i e, as she acknowledges, in he las episode o Season One, “The Bicame al Mind”: “She was ne e my daugh e ... Any mo e han I was... whoe e hey made me.” Mae e’s cha ac e is impo an o analyze jus like Dolo es’ because she also e ol es om he ole o he p os i u e o a mo he and wa io , ques ioning he classic ole o he p os i u e wi h he hea o gold in he Wes . Mae e’s na a i e, he escape om a p ede e mined li e and Delos Pa k dis inguish he om o he wes e n na a i es in which women a e comple ely domina ed 28 by men and he masculinized Wes , like Ma ian and Molly, who did no e en wan o escape he s e eo ypical oles o he docile and subse ien woman. Thus, in Season One, Mae e s a ed o ques ion he exis ence o some o he memo ies abou igu es whom she belie ed o be gods. E en ually, she disco e ed he u h abou he na u e and ha hose who she hough we e gods we e only memo ies o people who wo ked in he pa k when she was aken ou o se ice o be epai ed. Like Dolo es, she had a p ede e mined ole, and e en be o e Dolo es disco e ed consciousness, Mae e had se e al momen s ha showed he spec a o ha she oo was de eloping a conscience. One o hose momen s occu s when Fo d was abou o e ase he memo ies o he mo he hood and he child’s assassina ion. E en a e he e ased hem, Mae e, no knowing ha she canno ac ually die, and will be la e be b ough back online, kills he sel in episode eigh “T ace Decay”, so ha hey would no ake he memo ies away: “No. No, no, no, please. This pain... i 's all I ha e le o he . Please.” Fu he mo e, in he inal episode o Season One, when she was abou o escape he pa k she decides o s ay behind and sa e he daugh e , e en i she knew ha he memo ies o he we e all cons uc ed. Mae e’s ans o ma ion om p os i u e o mo he , and om unconsciousness o awa eness we e made wi h he use o iolence and calcula ed choices. He escape om he pa k was s ill pa o Fo d’s na a i e o he . Howe e , she decides on he own ha mo he hood was mo e impo an o he han he own escape and su i al. Thus, he use o iolence, manipula ion, and he ac i e ole in sa ing he daugh e a e in e es ing o be no iced i she is compa ed o o he emale cha ac e s in he wes e n ha did no ha e ac i e oles in he mos impo an ma e s o he na a i e being old. Besides Mae e ac i ely pa icipa ing and pu ing he su i al a isk, she assembled a g oup o hos s o which she was he leade o sa e he daugh e , and she b ough hem oge he by gi ing hem he chance o choose eely i hey wan ed o join he o no . Wi h Mae e’s cha ac e , Wes wo ld u ns upside down he classic ca ego ies ha mos women i in o ei he as he mo he o he p os i u e, and joined hem oge he sub e ing hese s e eo ypical ypes, and demons a ing ha hough mo he hood is Mae e’s co ne s one, i does no make he he submissi e woman a aid o using iolence. I is ob ious ha he ole o unning he b o hel ga e he mo e audaci y and less cons ic ion in he wo ds and ac ions, bu he se ies ended up c ea ing a complex cha ac e ha agi a ed and ied o nego ia e he lack o spo ligh gi en o women in he wes e n gen e. 29 Mo eo e , in Season Two, Mae e con inues o igh o he daugh e , and h oughou he season she lea ns o con ol o he hos s and change hei code, all wi h he own mind, he p og am. Mae e igh s o he daugh e , sa ing he , and ul ima ely sac i icing he sel . He sel - eliance in he abili ies o sa e he sel wi hou he g oup a e impo an in he g ow h as a ee hos . Though Mae e being a mo he could be seen as a cliché, and he ca ing o he daugh e i ing in o he common pe sonali y o women in he wes e n, i is he capaci y o iolence, su i al and ac i e pa icipa ion in he mission ha sepa a es Mae e om o he emale cha ac e s ha a e passi e and always s ay in he side-lines. Mae e is ull hands on, and he sac i ice in he inal episode o Season Two, demons a es he humbleness and lo e owa ds a daugh e ha was he s only as pa o a s o y. In episode i e, season? “Akane No Mai”, Mae e alked abou hei cons uc ed memo ies and he abili y o lo e o he hos s e en i hose memo ies and eelings we e jus code, saying “You can' keep doing his o us, gi ing us people o lo e and hen ge ing upse when we do.” Addi ionally, she is much mo e complex han jus being a mo he , since h oughou he second season she chooses o sac i ice o he hos s, and some o hem choose o sac i ice hemsel es o he . She is able o be iolen and u hless in sac i icing o he s o make su e ha he daugh e makes i , e en i o he s and he sel do no su i e along he way. Fu he mo e, in Season Th ee, hough i is no in he Wes , Mae e is woken up by he illain Se ac, and she igh s Dolo es because he p omised Mae e, she would be able o ge he daugh e back. Wha is mainly impo an in his season is ha in he inal episode “C isis Theo y”, she inally unde s ood wha Dolo es had been igh ing o , and i was no he annihila ion o humani y. When e e y hing Dolo es had been igh ing o could ha e been los , Mae e s epped up and unde s ood ha he sea ch o he daugh e would ha e o be pos poned, making he decision o sa e Caleb, he human who would ei he choose o e ase he machine ha con olled he human ace o con ol he machine himsel and p ospe wi h i . In he las episode, Mae e inally chose a side in he igh , a choice ha she had no made in he p e ious seasons. She chose o pa icipa e in some hing bigge han he sel and he own p oblems, demons a ing he capaci y o ee will. Though mo he hood was he p ima y ai , he se ies made he much mo e han a simple mo he who wan ed o p o ec he child, because she was also capable o using ex eme measu es o iolence, such as killing o he hos s and he sel , and also, 30 she was able o pu he su i al o he species and o humans abo e he own desi es o inding he daugh e . Mae e has many laye s wi hin he sel , making he a woman ha s ands ou as independen and a leade , a woman like Dolo es who ques ions and ies o e ise he na a i es old in he Wes . Fu he mo e, when Mae e inally unde s ands Dolo es’ pligh is h ough a memo y o he pa k o Wes wo ld. A he ime, bo h cha ac e s alked, and Dolo es old Mae e ha she had ocused on e enge and ange owa d humani y, bu she had inally unde s ood ha he e was kindness and beau y in he wo ld and in he human ace. This is ele an because i was in he wes e n space Dolo es unde s ood ha hough i was a iolen and dange ous space, i was also a space wi h beau y and good memo ies o in e ac ion be ween he hos s and humans. Likewise, his kind o easoning could be applied o he eal wo ld, since his was also a space wi h iolence bu wi h people capable o c ea ing beau y and kindness. In Reading Wes wo ld, Alex Goody and An onia Mackay s a e: (…) Wes wo ld is indeed ou wo ld, ha he hype eal, mise-en-abyme o he ime- a elling, my hic Wes is he hype eali y o ou own iolen , g eedy, exci ing, empowe ing, ca eless “consume cul u e [in] he wen y- i s cen u y”. We can hus mo e h ough Season Two and beyond, ou , wi h Dolo es, in o he eal wo ld, knowing ha we will ne e ha e le and will ne e lea e Wes wo ld. (2019:303) Subsequen ly, he pa k o Wes wo ld as a iolen and dange ous space o he Ame ican Wes e lec s on o he spaces ou side o ha landscape, jus like i was shown in he ci y se ing o Season Th ee o Wes wo ld. The my hical Wes is a he same ime capable o u hless and kind ac s, no much di e en om o he spaces in Ame ica. The di e ence is ha he na a i es su ounding he Wes no only show i as he mos iolen space in Ame ica, bu also as he space whe e change ( egene a ion) can occu , jus like i happens wi h he ep esen a ion o women. The imagina y Wes has allowed space o men o domina e and oam ee, i was abou ime o le women do he same. 1.3.3. Po ai o Women in Wes wo ld Dolo es’ and Mae e’ cha ac e s e ol e h ough he h ee seasons o Wes wo ld om classic oles no mally ound in he wes e n o he “damsel in dis ess” o he p os i u e in o complex leade s capable o kind and iolen ac s. Bo h become mul i ace ed 31 p o agonis s lo ed and ha ed a he same ime. By ocusing on he mo al and emo ional g ow h o hese wo cha ac e s, he se ies deal wi h issues ega ding he lack o emale isual ep esen a ion in he wes e n gen e and in ele ision. Dolo es and Mae e become dominan and cen al cha ac e s gi ing women mo e signi icance in he wes e n. The e is s ill imp o emen ha can be done wi h hese wo cha ac e s and he na a i e o Wes wo ld i sel which would make i mo e eminis . C i ics such as Jacinda Read o Alexand a Fanghanel 4 ha e e e ed o he scenes o ape and ic imhood o women, a guing ha he e is a need o e ise he way ape is ea ed no only in ele ision and o he mediums, bu in socie y in gene al. As hese wo cha ac e s g ew in o leade s and ep esen a i es o hei species, hey acqui ed ai s no mally seen in men like Dolo es did by in eg a ing Wya in o he own mind. Being able o ex eme iolence and e en mu de , bo h cha ac e s’ pe sonali ies became mo e complex, and p one o ga he c i icism. In Wes wo ld Psychology: Violen Deligh s (2019), Ma ie-Joëlle Es ada a gues abou his: Women who wan o occupy adi ionally “masculine” leade ship posi ions ha e o iola e he eminine communal s e eo ypes o be conside ed agen ic enough o lead. (…) women a e in a double bind: Women who iola e he eminine s e eo ype a e seen as “ oo agg essi e” and a e disliked. This dec eased likeabili y can be seen in he women who occupy leade ship posi ions and he lack o emo ionali y ha he audience expe iences wi h hei demise. (203) Thus, Dolo es and Mae e g ew in o complex cha ac e s capable o iolence and lo e, and hey we e easily disliked because hey s epped ou o hei classic and sa e oles and emb aced leade ship and cen al oles ypically seen in men. When ha ole belongs o men who may kill as much o capable o kind ac s, like Dolo es and Mae e, hey a e no no mally so disliked, since ha beha io is s anda d o men in he wes e n. Es ada also sugges s a possible solu ion o gende c i icism, s a ing ha “(…) i equi es a shi in socie y’s pe cep ions be o e i will be ecognized as such.” (Ibidem:206). I mo e cha ac e s and emale s o ies like he ones p esen ed in Wes wo ld a e c ea ed, hen maybe he discou se wi hin socie y will change and he iew on s ong and complex women will shi as well, emb acing a (wes e n) na a i e wi h women ha can be as complex and s ong as men. Women ha e always been s ong. I is only because o a p edominan hegemonic masculine socie y ha women in he wes e n o o he gen es 4 Jacinda Read’s New A enge s: Feminism, Feminini y and he Rape-Re enge Cycle (2000) and Alexand a Fanghanel’s Dis up ing Rape Cul u e: Public Space, Sexuali y and Re ol (2019). 32 ha e been silenced and seen as seconda y. Neil Campbell e e s his aspec when a guing abou dominan s o ies in he wes e n: Ce ain dominan s o ies, o Mani es Des iny, he ‘F on ie ’, masculine asse ion, and he Na ion o med in he Wes , no longe p o ide maps o meaning, bu ins ead o e my hs and dead-ends ha enclose and cu o om he ib an possibili ies o eimagina ion and ein en ion. (2000, 125) Tele ision se ies, such as Wes wo ld, migh help in ein en ing and eimagining a Wes ha has many mo e possibili ies no only o men bu o women as well. New oices a e being c ea ed o demons a e ha he Wes does no need o be p edominan ly masculine, i can be eminine as well. 1.4. The Mandalo ian (2019-2021): Ca asyn hia Dune, he “New Soldie o Women” “I wasn’ d awn as a s o y elle o e y big can as, big sc een blockbus e S a Wa s. I was d awn o (…) a ew cha ac e s making i h ough he wo ld” (Fa eau, Jon. “'The Mandalo ian' c ea o Jon Fa eau alks show’s inspi a ion, 'pe sonal connec ion' o ilmmaking”. In e iew by Ch is Conelly. ABC News) The wes e n has had i s ups and downs h oughou he yea s, and du ing he 1960s and 1970s, people seemed o ha e g own i ed o he my hical na a i e o he Wes . P obably as a esul o he assassina ions o John Kennedy, Robe Kennedy and Ma in Lu he King, as well as he con o e sial wa in Vie nam, he g ow h o he Ci il Righ s Mo emen , Wa e ga e and in gene al Richa d Nixon’s p esidency. Howe e , by 1969 and wi h Ronald Reagan as p esiden in he 80s, he in e es in he wes e n g ew again, ein en ing i sel and changing he se ing om he old on ie o space. The i s S a Wa s (1977) c ea ed by Geo ge Lucas is an example o change, since i can be seen as a wes e n wi h a mix o o he in luences. In My h, Media, and Cul u e in S a Wa s: An An hology (2012), Douglas B ode and Leah Deyneka a gue ha “Lucas d ew on many elemen s o his concep ion o he S a Wa s uni e se, om he high a o Aki a 33 Ku osawa’s samu ai epics o he lowb ow un o he Buck Roge s and Flash Go don comic s ips and mo ie cli hange s.” (3). The S a Wa s anchise became a huge success and helped ein en he wes e n. The way P incess Leia was po ayed, especially in he i s mo ie, helped shi he way women we e seen, and ep esen ed in he Wes . A ew decades la e in 2012, he Wal Disney Company bough Lucas ilm and announced a new ilogy o ilms wi h he i s coming ou in 2015. Besides he mo ies, spin-o se ies we e p oduced like The Mandalo ian (2019) c ea ed by Jon Fa eau. This TV se ies will be he ocus o his subchap e , mo e speci ically he cha ac e o Ca asyn hia Dune played by Gina Ca ano. In an in e iew o he Hollywood Repo e Ca ano s a ed: I de ini ely hink Ca a s ands ou in a way ha ’s e y di e en om someone like Leia, who’s also e y s ong and independen . I hink ha ’s exac ly wha Jon wan ed o b ing o he S a Wa s uni e se as a as my cha ac e . (…) He wan ed my cha ac e o be his new soldie o women, and he wan ed he o ha e an impac . Fo me, i ’s been a way o emb ace who I am, and i he bigges complain is ha I’m oo s ong, i ’s eally a complimen o me. (2019: n.p) Ca a Dune, as she is commonly e e ed, is a emale cha ac e in The Mandalo ian, also a wes e n like he S a Wa s mo ies. She is impo an o conside because he wes e n lacks women like he , ha a e s ong physically and men ally, capable o aking ou he male p o agonis wi h he ba e hands. I is wi h women like Ca a Dune ha he wes e n demons a es ha he imes a e changing, and ha he e is space o women o s and and show ha hey can be as powe ul as men can. The na a i e o The Mandalo ian 5 happens i e yea s a e S a Wa s: Episode VI – Re u n o he Jedi (1983), and i ollows a Mandalo ian and boun y hun e — Din Dja in — h oughou his missions un il he inds and sa es a c ea u e called “The Child”, whose name is la e e ealed o be G ogu. As a esul , he Mandalo ian has he mission o keep sa e and deli e him o his own species (whose name is unknown), because G ogu is pa o a powe ul species who can manipula e he Fo ce, an ene gy ield ha connec ed 5 The Mandalo ian is a ele ision se ies c ea ed by Jon Fa eau and p oduced by Fai iew En e ainmen , Golem C ea ions, Lucas ilm and he Wal Disney S udios. The na a i e o he se ies akes place a e he all o he Empi e and i ells he s o y o Din Dja in, a boun y hun e , who goes on missions ac oss he galaxy ying o make p o i s. Th oughou he wo seasons eleased, he Mandalo ian a els ac oss he galaxy mee ing di e en people, some o whom become his allies and a e ecu en cha ac e s: Ca asyn hia Dune, G ee Ka ga, Fennec Shand, Boba Fe and Ashoka Tano. The hi d season has al eady been con i med and will be eleased in 2022. 34 e e y hing in he galaxy. Ca a Dune is one o he people ha help he Mandalo ian h oughou Season One. As mo e in o ma ion is disclosed abou Dune’s pas in Season Two he spec a o knows ha she is om a plane des oyed by he Empi e, Alde aan. A e ha , she became a s o m oope igh ing wi h he Rebel Alliance, ough in he Galac ic Ci il Wa , and helped o c ea e he New Republic. She and o he s like he we e made o keep he peace and ac as p o ec o s o delega es. Finally, when he Mandalo ian inds he , she has dese ed and become a me cena y hiding in di e en plane s and unning om a li e sen ence. E en hough Ca a Dune only appea ed in h ee episodes o Season One, she became a cha ac e linked wi h a eminis app oach, since she s ands ou om o he s e eo ypical ep esen a ions o women in he wes e n. She migh be compa ed o o he emale cha ac e s such as Molly Woods, P incess Leia and e en Dolo es Abe na hy, bu Ca a Dune s ands apa om hem. All he women men ioned be o e a e in w i en and isual o ma s he pe ec embodimen o he p ejudiced ideas o wha a woman should look like: wi h a slende body ep esen ing so ness and a sculp ed ace made o o he s o admi e. Fa eau chose Gina Ca ano on pu pose o embody Ca a Dune since she has a s ong and muscula igu e due o he yea s in Mixed Ma ial A s. Mo e han Ca ano’s physical appea ance, he cha ac e has o he ai s ha dis inguish he no only om women like Molly Woods o Ma ian S a e , bu om he common emale cha ac e ound in o he wes e n ilms and books. Like Dolo es Abe na hy and Mae e Millay, Dune’s abili y o hand o hand comba , and ac ical planning dis inguish he om he s e eo ypical woman ound ypically in he wes e n. She is capable o aking down he male p o agonis , Din Dja in, as shown in episode ou o Season One “Sanc ua y” when she ough him in a hand- o- hand comba , di e en om he usual S a Wa s’ ype o comba o using a ligh sabe . Addi ionally, in he same episode she and he Mandalo ian p o ec a me s om a g oup o bandi s and an Impe ial Walke , and Dune was he s a o he episode by pu ing he sel a isk and aking ou he Impe ial Walke by he sel . Simila ly, she also acked down he shoo e who was ying o kill G ogu igh be o e he pulled he igge on him. Dune’s igh ing abili ies and he p ima y eac ion o be pa o any igh , make he a cha ac e who s ands ou in he wes e n ou e space, and an example o a woman ha does no need any man o help he su i e. She can make i on he own, igh ing and su i ing. She came o be ega ded as pa o a eminis app oach as she ills a gap in he TV and ilmic 41 and con olling big Ma el i les. Howe e , hey we e a is s who had li le expe ience wi h w i ing comics, and hose Ma el i les hey had been assigned o, began o wane. Many o hese a is s also wan ed owne ship o he wo k hey had done o hose i les, and as Ma el e used, hey le and c ea ed Image Comics in 1992. The i les hey c ea ed we e simila o he wo k hey had done o Ma el, and hei emale he oes con inued o be o e sexualized, bu as men ioned p e iously, like o he companies in his business, Image Comics closed be o e he beginning o he 21s cen u y. The published i e issues o Wynonna Ea p we e: — issue 1 “Red Necks, Whi e Co puscles and Blue Ribbon Bee ”, issue 2 “The Bloody Badge o he Law”, issue 3 “Dea h Sucks”, issue 4 “Re ied Dead” and issue 5 “W ap Pa y”. Th oughou he i e issues one ai is always p esen : he almos inhuman, o e sexualized body o Wynonna, and skimpy clo hes which lea e li le o he eade ’s imagina ion. The eade ollows Wynonna Ea p, a U.S. Ma shall and descendan o Wya Ea p, while she igh s di e en na ional h ea s, including si ua ions in which supe na u al, ho o and an asy elemen s a e combined, acco ding o he de ini ion o he wei d wes e n gen e. She igh s e il no only in he wes e n space, bu also in he ci y. Wynonna Ea p’s cha ac e was in luenced by he changes occu ing in he 1990s wi h he widesp ead access o he in e ne , and he ising in e es in explo ing sexuali y. These i e comic issues o Wynonna Ea p mos ly ake place in he wes e n space, and he emale cha ac e possesses s ong ai s and quali ies ha make Wynonna a skill ul and dange ous he o o igh agains , and demons a e a de elopmen , and a di e en way o elling emale s o ies in he Wes . The i s quali y Wynonna Ea p has and ha dis inguishes he om o he conse a i e and s e eo ypical emale cha ac e s in he wes e n is he igh ing abili ies and capaci y o adap a ion o di e en h ea s. The e o e, h oughou he i e issues he eade can see ha she is he main agen dispa ched by he agency o ‘neu alize’ he h ea s o na ional secu i y. Besides being Wya Ea p’s descendan , in he i s issue “Red Necks, Whi e Co puscles and Blue Ribbon Bee ” (las page), i is e ealed ha she is: An Olympic le el a hle e wi h high hono s in mos known and some unknown igh ing s yles. Pe haps he g ea es weapon is one she sha es wi h he possible ances o (…). The powe o be he cooles head in a e y bad si ua ion – o comple ely con ol he composu e no ma e wha he odds. 42 She possesses bo h men al and physical skills ha make he di icul o de ea , and a guably he mos impo an skill is he in elligence and logic easoning when she igh s c iminals. This can be seen in Issue Th ee “Dea h Sucks”, when she is igh ing he bigges h ea Bobo Del Rey, a supe na u al supe human who while igh ing he , inc eases his s eng h and powe e en mo e o kill he Ea p hei . She ends up de ea ing him by using he in elligence: she had lea ned ha he bes way o de ea him would be wi h a mix u e o blood and holy wa e ha would educe his supe na u al abili ies, and inally would des oy him, and hus she go i . Ano he example appea s in Issue Two “The Bloody Badge o he Law”, when she en e ed a ba in he wes e n space illed wi h c iminals who sold a d ug called “hemo”. She go he e wi hou backup and ough all he men in he ba o ob ain in o ma ion abou Del Rey’s d ugs. The e a e o he examples ha could be e e ed o since she almos always manages o de ea e e y illain in he wes e n space and he su ounding ci ies. Mo eo e , besides he igh ing abili ies, she can be seen as a lone he o who like o he male cowboys in he Wes p o ec ed he communi y and de ea ed he illain. Wynonna Ea p had help om ime o ime, allies ha ough wi h he while she ook ca e o he mos dange ous c iminal, and she also had a eam on s andby who ook ca e o hings a e he h ea was elimina ed. Howe e , she s ill de ea ed he main illain, and gained in o ma ion on he own abou c ime in he a ea. Subsequen ly, his emale he o who was in luenced by he social and poli ical changes b ough on in he las decades o he wen ie h cen u y s ands apa om ea lie emale cha ac e s in he Wes . As s a ed p e iously, mos o hose we e s ill gi en conse a i e, s e eo ypical, and in e io oles, wi h he excep ion o he oines like Annie Oakley and Dale E ans who we e p o agonis s o hei own ad en u es and did no s and aside while o he male cha ac e s became he he oes o he na a i e. Then, jus as o he male he oes in he wes e n who wo ked p edominan ly alone, Wynonna Ea p in hese issues was he same: lonely, and he he o o his wes e n na a i e. Finally, he hi d posi i e quali y was he powe o he p esence when she appea ed in he scenes. Besides being d awn in a bigge size compa ed o o he cha ac e s in he comics, she b ough powe and dominance o he space she occupied. As no mally male he oes i adia e powe and s eng h in he Wes , consequen ly becoming a h ea o he c iminals a ound hem, so Wynonna Ea p has he own cha isma. He igu e emana es powe and s eng h. Addi ionally, she some imes uses he body as a ool in he wo k o ob ain in o ma ion om c iminals, using he p econcei ed image o he agile and non- 43 h ea ening woman. In hese issues, his seems o wo k pe ec ly as men almos ne e see he as a h ea , and only pay a en ion o he body while she ob ains wha she needs o inish he mission. I is impo an o s a e ha being d awn in a sexually exagge a ed way, and by using he own seduc i eness o ob ain in o ma ion, his can be seen as a nega i e quali y, since i can be easily a gued ha his makes he desi able o male eade s. Ne e heless, i can be seen as a esou ce she is able o use o he own ad an age. Je ey B own in Dange ous Cu es: Ac ion He oines, Gende , Fe ishism, and Popula Cul u e (2011) e e s o his double s anda d a guing ha The eal impo ance o he ac ion he oine is ha she is no easily w i en o as “ei he /o ”. She does muddy he wa e s o wha we conside masculine and eminine, o desi able beau y and h ea ening sexuali y, o subjec i i y and objec i i y, o powe ul and powe less. (9-10) Subsequen ly, Wynonna Ea p’s body is bo h h ea ening and desi able. Fu he mo e, ela ed o his ma e , he e is one main c i ique ha can be made o he e sion o his cha ac e : he sho , igh ou i s ha Wynonna Ea p wea s while she is on a mission, and ac i ely igh ing c iminals. Th ough he i e comic issues, he clo hing is always igh , lea es no hing o he imagina ion, and ge s o n easily in a igh making he look e en mo e naked han she al eady was. An example o his can be seen in Issue Th ee “Dea h Sucks”, a e she ough Del Rey (see Fig. 1.) 44 Fig. 1. Wynonna Ea p #3 (n.p), 1997. Hence, while Wynonna Ea p is shown o be s ong and capable, ha ing he same abili ies and p esence as o he male he oes in comics, and e en in he wes e n space, he e is a big di e ence o o he male he oes in he 1990s. They do no ha e an exagge a ed display o skin, hey igh c iminals in ou i s ha a e easy o hem o mo e a ound, and hey do no ha e hei p i a e pa s exposed. The “Bad Gi ls” o he 1990s did, exagge a edly so. As s a ed p e iously, his was ela ed o an almos exclusi e male eade ship o comics, he impac and wide-sp ead adula ion o sexy emale he oes po ayed by popula ac esses like Pamela Ande son and Demi Moo e, and Angelina Jolie (B own:11). In a na a i e which akes place in an imagined wes e n space, Wynonna Ea p’s clo hing and lack he eo , unde a es he as a woman and as a he oine in he Wes . The ou i she wea s mos o he ime, pa ially ep esen ed in Fig. 1., demons a es he connec ion o his he oine o he wes e n space. He ou i includes he boo s, he bandana a ound he neck, he b own lea he bel a ound he wais , he gun and e en he badge she ca ies a ound, di ec ly linking he o he ypical ep esen a ion o a cowboy in he Wes . No mally, his ype o ga men s empowe s he he o wea ing i , bu as he ou i is e y 45 e ealing and sho , i does he e e se: i makes he look like a domina ix who decided o ake on he jou ney o he he o and igh c iminali y. I disempowe s he as a he o, and i inc eases he sexual desi abili y. Likewise, as he e a e e y ew emale he oes in he wes e n, his aspec is no mino . In chap e one, women such as Molly Woods who had mos ly a conse a i e and s e eo ypical ole o play we e e e ed, and wi h his e sion o Wynonna Ea p he e is basically he same p oblem only in a di e en way: his emale he oine can s ill be linked wi h a s e eo ypical image, since he body is sexually objec i ied and disp opo iona e. Besides, (e en hough she used i o he ad an age some imes) she was no aken se iously by mos men a ound he because o he body and he clo hes she wo e in missions, jus like in Issue Two “The Bloody Badge o he Law” when she walked in o a ba wea ing a e y sho ski , igh op and high heels. She needed in o ma ion and was ca -called by he men a ound he . Subsequen ly, e en i she is s ong and capable o de ea ing c iminals on he own in he wes e n, she is, a he same ime, no espec ed enough by o he s a ound he when she is no igh ing. The “Bad Gi ls” end in comic books by making emale he oes look like domina ices u ns hei s eng h and powe in o an a e hough . Wha de ines hese he oines o he 1990s is hei sexual appeal and desi abili y. In Wynonna Ea p’s case i was he same, he a ac i eness was abo e e e y hing else. W i en by a man bu d awn by a woman in he i s h ee issues o Image Comics, Joyce Chin, i could be expec ed ha he a is would ha e paid mo e a en ion o he way she d ew a emale he o. This ype o he oines was ex emely c i icized by mos women, bu he e we e o he s who app ecia ed hem. A he end o Issue Two “The Bloody Badge o he Law”, Beau Smi h answe ed a an who ques ioned Wynonna’s igh and sho clo hes. Smi h’s answe explains he end o he “Bad Gi ls” in he 1990s, ha ing male eade s as he main audience. He s a ed: “‘Cause she looks good in i and bein’ a manly man I like he way she looks in i . Besides bein’ a beau i ul woman he sel , a is Joyce Chin knows how o d aw a ue gun- o in’ badge-wea in’ babe o a ma shal” (n.p). This ype o emale he oes o he la e 1990s, should ha e been mo e han jus ‘babes’ who we e good o look a , because as his o y has shown, women we e mo e han jus mo he s, house-wi es and las ly jus good o look a . They had he igh o be ep esen ed wi h he same espec and powe shown o male he oes. The “Bad Gi ls” o he 1990s, as well as his e sion o Wynonna Ea p showed some e olu ion mainly 46 because in his ype o na a i es, hey became p o agonis s and could be as powe ul and s ong as male he oes. Finally, he e is one las ma e ela ed o he las comic issue “W ap Pa y” in which he explana ion behind Wynonna Ea p’s ac ions is somewha dubious. In his issue she mee s he ex-boy iend, a c iminal, who had chea ed on he wi h o he women while hey we e in Las Vegas. The he oine shows ange a i s , bu hen a he end o he issue she ended up dinning wi h him and kissing him. He eason o ac hus was ha she wan ed him o us he and o become he in o man o u u e missions. This is ano he c i ique ha should be poin ed ou , because no only is she unde mined and dis espec ed by he way she looks as a he o, bu his kind o ac ions do no empowe he . The explana ion is poo , and i helps unde mine he e en mo e, because in p e ious comic issues she was able o ge in o ma ion h ough o he sou ces wi hou ha ing o le he sel be oo ulne able. This e sion o Wynonna Ea p was only p og essi e in he dominan ole and powe gi en o he as a emale he o in he wes e n. I did no do mo e han ha , since he clo hing and some o he ac ions unde mined he as a woman and he o in he wes e n. E en i she was gi en mo e eedom han o he emale cha ac e s, such as Molly Woods and Ma ian S a e , Wynonna ended up alling in o ano he s e eo ypical ole. Howe e , due o he p e ious emale he oes’ aul s and c i icism, new e sions o emale he oes in he wes e n can lea n om, and g ow e en mo e as women and he oes, and one hing is ue abou hese “Bad Gi ls”, as B own poin ed ou : “Whe he ac ion he oines a e depic ed as masculinized ha d bodies o as so , miniski ed ass-kicke s, hey ul ima ely challenge he assump ion ha gende and beha io a e biologically de e mined” (13). Issue 5 would be he inal issue Image Comics published o Beau Smi h’s he oine. Also, i would be he las comic o Wynonna Ea p ha was published o a while, and as men ioned be o e wi h he publishing companies closing, in his las issue Smi h had un wi h he c i icism hese emale he oes ecei ed h oughou he yea s, when he appea ed in a con e sa ion wi h he emale he o he sel and saying: “Please—come on back! I’ll cancel Pamela Ande son om playin’ ya in he mo ie! I’ll ha e ‘em d aw mo e clo hes on ya!” (n.p). Thus, e en i joking he was well awa e ha some hing had o change. Many o he emale he oes om he 90s would no eappea again. The emale he oes ha appea ed la e , we e changed physically and men ally. The same happened o Wynonna Ea p whose publishing igh s we e acqui ed by IDW Publishing in 2003, publishing i s a h ee-issue se ies en i led Wynonna Ea p: Home on he S ange. 47 2.2. IDW Publishing: The New Wynonna Ea p A e 9/11, he P esiden o he Uni ed S a es o Ame ica Geo ge W. Bush used he wes e n and he my hs su ounding i o espond o he c isis b ough on by ha e ible e en . I was no he i s ime ha an Ame ican p esiden used he image o a my hical Wes , and Bush used i o c ea e a sense o na ional need o e ibu ion and sa e y. Consequen ly, he lo e o wes e ns esu aced again in mul iple mediums such as ele ision, cinema and comics, b inging a eassessmen o he idea o he oism and o he place o he US wo ldwide. Addi ionally, women’s igh o equali y o gende ep esen a ion and oppo uni ies con inued o be a cen al issue, and in comic books mo e he oes s a ed o appea who dis anced hemsel es om he whi e, male, and he e osexual pa adigm. Nickie D. Phillips and S aci S obl speak o a ise o gay supe he oes such as Midnigh e , Apollo, and Ba woman in he i s decade o his cen u y (169). Howe e , he comics indus y con inued o be male domina ed, and emale he oes con inued o be sexualized, made his way especially o male eade s, e en i no as much as he “Bad Gi ls” o he e sion o Wynonna Ea p by Image Comics. IDW Publishing e iewed his emale he o’s na a i e, d as ically al e ing he clo hing, and making he look mo e like a egula woman han an inhuman emale he o. Because o his d as ic change, she looks and ac s like a espec able, powe ul he o o he Wes , a he o whom emale eade s would see as app oachable and a e sion o a powe ul independen woman. This new Wynonna Ea p p esen s a posi i e image o and o women. Mad id a gued ha many emale he oes who ha e “(…) s ong, powe ul cha ac e s can be nega ed by he way hey a e d awn, and a e d essed” (298), and i eade s we e o ead his new Wynonna Ea p, hey would see ha he way she was d awn does no nega e how powe ul she can be. The e is an excep ion, bu mos o he ime she is a he o in he wes e n who much like mos male he oes can ake ca e o he sel and be an example o a woman ha anyone would eel sa e and p o ec ed i hey had he on hei side. The i s posi i e quali y o Wynonna Ea p as a he o in he wes e n is how IDW Publishing c ea ed a wes e n na a i e in which he main cha ac e is a woman who is able o s and on equal oo wi h o he men. In his h ee-issue se ies, Beau Smi h who is known o his lo e o wes e ns, w o e a na a i e based on eal e en s: he e a e a ious 48 e e ences such as he amous gun igh a he O.K. Co al in 1881, a hi y-second gun igh be ween he Ea ps, Doc Holliday and a g oup o ou laws called he Cowboys. In his se ies, hese cha ac e s ha e he same names o he his o ical g oup o ou laws like Johnny Ringo and Joseph Clan on, bu his ime hey come o igh Wynonna Ea p. Th oughou he h ee issues Wynonna Ea p con inues o be a Ma shall igh ing supe na u al c iminals, bu in his se ies he cha ac e appea s espec ul and able o igh com o ably wi h he clo hes she has on. While in he Image Comics’ e sion, he eade could ques ion he s eng h and powe because o he way she was d essed (in a e sion o a bikini), in hese issues she wea s egula clo hes, as can be seen in Figu e 2. Fig. 2. Wynonna Ea p: Home on he S ange #3 (15), 2004 Thus, she d esses much mo e app op ia ely o someone who knows is going o igh . In he p e ious issues she had li le clo hing on, and she s ill managed o ge a he end o a igh wi h e en mo e holes in he ou i . In hese IDW Publishing issues, she always wea s clo hes ha di ec ly connec he o he Wes , gi ing he a much mo e digni ied and espec ul look as a he oine who pu s he li e ahead o o he s. She is a woman who is much mo e han jus a cha ac e ha se es he pu pose o being eye-candy o male 49 eade s. She is s ill sexualized in hese comics since she wea s a sho whi e c op op and is somewha s e eo yped and objec i ied since she is blond wi h blue eyes. One needs o emembe ha e en hough hese issues (and he ollowing ones) ha e aken in o accoun he c i icism gi en o he i s se ies o Image Comics, he image o women con inues o be p ima ily seen as he ai ha a ac s mos audiences o ead hem. Je ey B own e e s o his issue, when he s a es: Because he sexualiza ion o emale cha ac e s in popula cul u e is s ill ega ded as hei p ima y appeal o audiences, especially he ypically male audience ha is assumed o all ac ion gen es, i is di icul o imagine ha he s eng h and compe ence o he oines will e e ou shine hei e o ic p esen a ion. (245) Subsequen ly, Wynonna Ea p is s ill sexualized, bu in a much mino way when compa ed o he i s issues. F om he IDW Publishing issues onwa d she can be seen as a woman who is making a eal di e ence in he wes e n space, because she is empowe ed no only because o he igh ing skills, bu also because o he way eade s can pe cei e he : as a woman who knows who she is and is capable o aking ac ion in o he own hands and sa e he day. She is di ec ly seen as a wes e n he o because o he boo s, and Figu e 2 also shows he wea ing a b own jacke wi h inges. This could be conside ed as cliché, since almos e e y he o and illain in he wes e n wea s hem. In he case o wes e n emale he oes who wea his kind o clo hes, i could be a gued ha i is impo an o wea hem, so ha hey a e di ec ly seen as someone who is powe ul and s ong. Addi ionally, he e is one o he ai p esen in his se ies ha demons a es a change, and ha is he in oduc ion o ano he powe ul woman who like Wynonna Ea p is able o ake ac ion in o he own hands: Ma shall Holly Day. She is an immo al agen who helped Wynonna igh he illains a he O.K. Co al. Besides Day, he e a e wo o he men who joined hem. The in oduc ion o ano he emale cha ac e who is jus as s ong and capable as he main cha ac e is impo an . Since he beginning o he 2000s, he appea ance o se e al eams o women like Bi ds o P ey 6 (1996) showed ha he e was an in e es o c ea e mo e na a i es in which women we e capable o being as s ong, independen , and capable as he oes as men we e. Simila ly, he same happens in Wynonna Ea p: Home on he S ange, demons a ing ha women had a place as c ime 6 Like Bi ds o P ey, o he all- emale he o eams ha e eme ged, especially in comics like The Fea less De ende s (2013) and A-Fo ce (2015). 50 igh e s and wes e n he oes. Holly Day, jus like Wynonna Ea p, has a pas linked wi h he Wes : he pa en s had been membe s o he ou law g oup Cowboys, bu a e wa ds hey sided wi h he igh side o he law. Wi h wo s ong emale cha ac e s like hese wo, i is shown ha mo e emale cha ac e s we e s a ing o be aken mo e se iously, and we e able o be equals o male he oes. In con as , one c i ique can be made abou his se ies, and ha is ela ed o one scene in Issue One when Wynonna Ea p was d awn in an in ima e posi ion in he ho el oom, a e aking a showe (Figu e 3.). She is d essed in a pink obe wi h he legs opened wide. The obe co e s he geni alia, bu he posi ion and he ac ha he legs a e ba e can be linked o he hype -sexualiza ion depic ed by Image Comics. As s a ed be o e, in his se ies he emale he o is s ill sexualized, bu in a much mo e con olled way han in he issues published by Image Comics. In his scene he main cha ac e as a he o is unde mined like she was in he Image Comics issues, and she loses he digni y. No male he o is d awn in such a sexual posi ion. Fig. 3. Wynonna Ea p: Home on he S ange #1 (22), 2004. 57 o he wo ks ha esona e h ough epe i ion wi h a ia ion (8)”. The p ocess o adap a ion is impo an o be unde s ood especially when adap a ions a e analyzed and compa ed wi h hei o iginal o ms. Many adap a ions change hei me hods o engaging wi h he “o iginal” e en using di e en media. Fu he mo e, he p ocess o adap a ion has o conside o he a eas o socie y and cul u e, s ill acco ding o Hu cheon and O’Flynn: We engage in ime and space, wi hin a pa icula socie y and a gene al cul u e. The con ex s o c ea ion and ecep ion a e ma e ial, public, and economic as much as hey a e cul u al, pe sonal, and aes he ic. This explains why, e en in oday’s globalized wo ld, majo shi s in a s o y’s con ex – ha is, o example, in a na ional se ing o ime pe iod – can change adically how he ansposed s o y is in e p e ed, ideologically and li e ally. (28) This can easily be seen when a ilm o ele ision adap a ion con eys a na a i e o a speci ic cul u e ha has i s own adi ions and cos umes, o e en when he e is a na a i e o a emale he o being old by a male p oduce . Depending on he p ocess o adap a ion, he e is always c i icism o be made by spec a o s in a ce ain cul u al con ex . Mo eo e , in he p ocess o adap a ion he e will be, mos p obably, addi ions being made o he na a i e being old: hey can a y om new cha ac e s, adding mo e d ama o he s o yline, o e en changing he ending o he o iginal wo k (Hu cheon and O’Flynn 37). Adap a ion is pa icula ly impo an because Wynonna Ea p was dually adap ed: i s om comics o ele ision, and hen om ele ision o comics, in which he la e adap a ion was based on he o e all changes done o he s o yline by he ele ision se ies. Wi hin he p ocess o adap a ion, he p ocess ha ans o ms and adap s he s o yline om elling o showing, gene ally om p in o pe o mance, in ol ing d ama iza ion, implies ha “(…) desc ip ion, na a ion, and ep esen ed hough s mus be anscoded in o speech, ac ions, sounds, and isual images’’ (Hu cheon and O’Flynn 40)”.The change in mediums implies ad an ages and limi s, and in he p ocess o adap ing o pe o mance, such as in ilm and ele ision, he e is one speci ic ad an age and limi , espec i ely, he use o cinema ic echniques is an ad an age, and he limi is ha he p ocess o anscoding p in ex s o isual is complex and he e may be some losses in he p ocess (Hu cheon and O’Flynn 43). These au ho s also a gue ha “[g] aphic no els a e pe haps adap ed mo e easily o ilm o his eason” (43), since when he p ocess o anscoding in ol es comics, which ha e d awings as pa o he na a i e, he ans o ma ion o ano he medium o gen e is easie . Nowadays, adap a ions o comics ha e become common and mo e o hese a e being p oposed and made in o ilm and ele ision se ies, 58 like Supe gi l (2015) and The Mandalo ian, showing socie y’s need o adap a ions, o wan ing o see he same s o ies being old epea edly. These na a i es ac “as a speci ic cul u al ep esen a ion o a “basic ideology” and as a gene al human uni e sal (Hu cheon and O’Flynn 176, emphasis in he o iginal)”. The p ocess o adap a ion implies he change o na a i es o sui a ce ain ime and place, and mos impo an ly “[w]e e ell — and show again and in e ac anew wi h – s o ies o e and o e ; in he p ocess, hey change wi h each epe i ion, and ye hey a e ecognizably he same. Wha hey a e no is (…) in e io – o hey would no ha e su i ed (Hu cheon and O’Flynn 176-177)”. Likewise, he exis ence o s o ies o emale he oes, which may ha e simila i ies, does no imply he e is no need o new na a i es o he oines o be old and shown. The wo ld has changed posi i ely in ega d o emale ep esen a ion, bu he e is s ill much wo k o be done, which in pa can come om adap a ions, such as he ones in ol ing Wynonna Ea p. In chap e wo, he comic book se ies published by Image Comics and IDW Publishing we e analyzed, hen in 2016 he e was he adap a ion o ele ision by Sy y. I was a p oduc ion by Emily And as 10 who had been p e iously in ol ed in Los Gi l (2010- 2015). As al eady e e ed, he p ocess o adap ing om he comic book se ies o he sc een migh in ol e changes o he s o yline and he cha ac e s, and he e we e majo changes o he o iginal na a i e. The ele ision se ies o Wynonna Ea p con inued o ollow he main emale he o Wynonna who con inued o be a descendan o Wya Ea p. Howe e , in he show he spec a o ollowed a na a i e much mo e cen ed on amily, iendship and he powe wi hin hose ela ionships. The spec a o ollows he emale he o’s na a i e in only one space, Pu ga o y, he place o bi h 11 and he de elopmen and ma u ing o he emale he o om a woman who an away o he he oine he own and he amily and iends needed. The plo o he TV se ies ollows Wynonna Ea p, a woman whose amily had been cu sed by a powe ul demon Bulsha Cloo ie, who was o iginally he snake who emp ed 10 And as had p e iously wo ked on Los Gi l pa icipa ing and consul ing du ing he i s and second seasons. Then, she became execu i e p oduce and show unne du ing he hi d and ou h seasons o his ele ision se ies. 11 The name o he emale he o’s bi hplace in he ele ision se ies was inspi ed in Wynonna Ea p comic se ies in which he bi hplace o he emale he o was Tombs one, a eal own in A izona whe e he O.K. Co al ook place. Smi h when alking abou he se ies and hanking Ted Adams said ha : “Ted’s belie ed in i om day one, he’s [been] he e a he O.K. Co al [wi h me].” (Beau Smi h, Wynonna Ea p Wiki). Then, he name o he own in he se ies was changed, bu in he comics i is Tombs one. 59 Adam and E e om he Ga den o Eden. Cloo ie cu sed Wya Ea p and his descendan s because he gunslinge had killed Cloo ie’s sons. In e e y gene a ion o he Ea ps he e would always be a cu sed hei , someone who on hei 27 h bi hday gained new abili ies, basically becoming a powe o be eckoned wi h, and inhe i ed Wya Ea p’s gun — Peacemake . Addi ionally, e e y gene a ion, Ea p’s hei had o kill he e enan s o demons Wya Ea p had al eady killed and sen o Hell in his li e ime. In Wynonna’s gene a ion she was no supposed o be he hei , since ha would be he olde sis e Willa Ea p. Wynonna had wo sis e s, Willa and Wa e ly, he younges o he amily. Wynonna and he sis e s g ew up in an emo ionally uns able home wi h he iolen and alcoholic a he , Wa d Ea p, he p e ious hei o he cu se. Thei mo he Michelle Gibson was p esen un il Wa e ly was bo n. Michelle bonded he sel wi h a demon Jolene who wan ed o kill Wa e ly and was olun a ily ins i u ionalized o keep he demon locked away. The h ee sis e s g ew up oge he , and a e hei mo he le hem some ime a e Wa e ly was bo n, yea s la e he amily homes ead and e i o y, which was supposedly sac ed g ound and limi less o demons, was in aded by se en demons. Wynonna’s a he had made a deal wi h he demons, Willa Ea p was allegedly killed, and when Wynonna ied o sa e he a he om he demons, she acciden ly killed him. A e hese inciden s, she was ins i u ionalized because o wha she did, and because she kep on saying ha demons had killed he sis e . Mo eo e , Wa e ly had o g ow up wi hou he sis e s, and Wynonna lashed ou and became an ang y and emo ionally closed up indi idual who d ank a all hou s o he day, using alcohol as he coping mechanism. As al eady men ioned, on he 27 h bi hday she e u ned o Pu ga o y o a end he uncle’s une al. She became he hei o he cu se and she joined a sec e go e nmen agency — Black Badge Di ision —and h oughou he ou seasons o he ele ision se ies, she ied o b eak he cu se by killing he demons ha had einca na ed. She became he he o Pu ga o y and he Ghos Ri e T iangle needed o igh e il. In he ele ision se ies she has a eam o back he up, made by he amily and iends: Wa e ly Ea p, Xa ie Dolls (a special agen ), Nicole Haugh (she i ’s depu y), Je emy Che i and John Hen y Holliday (also named simply as Doc Holliday), an immo al who had been Wya Ea p’s bes iend. The i s season is ocused on he hun ing and killing o he se en demons ha kidnapped Wynonna’s sis e , Willa, and also on he e-appea ance o Willa who had been b ainwashed by he main illain Bobo Del Rey. Willa had aligned wi h he illain and 60 wan ed o b eak he cu se and ee he demons om he Ghos Ri e T iangle so ha he nex Ea ps did no ha e o con inue o hun and kill demons h oughou he yea s. In he end, Wynonna had o igh he sis e and he illain, and consequen ly she killed he sis e me ci ully a e she had been aken by ano he supe na u al mons e who would p obably use he in a new e il plan. In he second season, he emale he o con inued o igh and kill demons, and she wen agains he wo widows o he demon Cloo ie whose main goal was o ee him. She also disco e ed ha she was p egnan wi h he nex hei o he cu se, and she s uggled o decide abou wha o do wi h he child. A he same ime, Wynonna’s younge sis e Wa e ly was possessed by a demon and ound ou abou he ue ances y, being he daugh e o an angel and no eally an Ea p. By he end o he season, Wynonna ga e bi h o a gi l, and had he lown ou o Pu ga o y because he e we e people who wan ed he child as she was he nex hei i Wynonna died. She was able o kill Cloo ie’s wi es, bu no be o e he was esu ec ed. Th oughou season h ee, Wynnona igh s Cloo ie as he was ying o ind he en ance o he Ga den o Eden which was a sanc ua y in he Ghos Ri e T iangle. The emale he o was gi en a solu ion o end Cloo ie which in ol ed Wa e ly aking he place o keepe o he ga den. Wynonna ough agains his decision and was able o kill Cloo ie be o e he could ge in o he ga den, bu again no be o e Wa e ly, he angel, was apped in he ga den. Finally, in he las season eleased, Wynonna and Nicole Haugh ( he new she i o Pu ga o y and gi l iend o Wa e ly) ied o ind a way inside he ga den o escue Wa e ly and Doc Holliday who had gone in o help Wa e ly. A e eleasing Wa e ly om he Ga den, hey came home o ind ou a long ime had gone while hey had been in he ga den, and he own o Pu ga o y was u ned upside down wi h he Ea ps long- ime enemies — he Clan ons — unning hings. Then, as Wa e ly and Nicole y o ge pas he auma o being apa o so long, Wynonna sea ches o Peacemake , now a swo d. The backg ound gi en o Wynonna Ea p in he TV adap a ion was no as glo ious as he emale he o in he o iginal comics, since in he TV adap a ion i is clea ly shown ha e en hough she became a he o, she had aumas o deal wi h, memo ies ha haun ed he , pu ing he in a ulne able s a e o mind. While in he comics he eade ne e sees he emale he o deal wi h a auma izing pas o e en he a e ma h o killing mons e s, in he se ies and a e wa ds in he comics ha we e gene a ed om he se ies, he he o 61 and e en he mons e s show human emo ions and pe sonali ies. This allows he emale he o o ques ion he du y as he hei o he Ea p cu se, as well as he spec a o s who ponde on wha i akes o alida es pulling he igge on some (no all) o he e enan s who while ha ing commi ed some pe y c ime in hei o he li e, o e all did no dese e o become colla e al damage in a con lic hey had no hing o do wi h. Thus, he ollowing subchap e s will deal wi h he de elopmen he emale he o displayed h oughou he ou seasons in o de o show whe he Wynonna Ea p embodies wha a eal emale he o can be in he wes e n space. 3.1. F om Reluc an He o o Righ ul He o o an Imagined Wes e n Space Acco ding o Vale ie F ankel, “[ ]he opp essed mino i y cul u es o Ame ica needed ales o sub le y, o pa ience, o quie he oics, bu he Ame ican philosophy o he whi e man se ling he Wes in o a gende -speci ic pa adise had li le oom o spunky women” (F om Gi l o Goddess 183). E en hough F ankel could ind ou some s o ies o women’s ad en u es in he Wes , he my hical wes e n space has always been ypically male, and women we e always side lined and ul ima ely hough o as seconda y o he ales o men ou Wes . Real s o ies o women exis ed, bu hey we e neglec ed jus like Kolodny showed in he s udy. Wi h he changes b ough on pa icula ly in he las decades o he wen ie h cen u y wi h he Feminis mo emen g owing in s eng h wo ldwide and ha ing women igh ing o he same oppo uni ies ha men had h oughou hei li es, new na a i es o women’s ad en u es in he wes e n s a ed o ge public a en ion. Mo e women we e being gi en he oic oles, jus as Ma k Wilde mu h no iced in Feminism and he Wes e n in Film and Tele ision (2018), poin ing ou se e al emale cha ac e s ha ha e appea ed in mo ies and ele ision se ies, pa icula ly when he my hs su ounding he Wes ha e been c i icized and new pe spec i es and na a i es a e coming o he o e, di e en om he male pe spec i e, as Campbell no iced: Pos colonial heo y, he impac o he ci il igh s mo emen and eminism can be seen in he g adual shi owa ds he inclusion o ma ginalized oices in New Wes cul u al ep esen a ion. (…). I is hyb id ‘in-be ween’ space (…). This, I would a gue, is he mul icul u al space o he New Wes , a complex mixing o cul u es in phases o adi ion, agi a ion, nego ia ion, and hyb idi y. (The Cul u es o he Ame ican New Wes 104) 62 Subsequen ly, Wynonna Ea p, as a wei d wes e n ele ision se ies embodies wha se e al au ho s ha e a gued abou he Wes needing o change and e ision, since he emale he o in his TV adap a ion dis u bs and nego ia es wi h he pas , p esen and u u e o he na a i es old in he Wes . The emale he o has some adi ional o classical ai s seen in o he wes e n na a i es, and a he same ime she has a new code o beha io ha pu s he in a g ey (‘hyb id’) a ea be ween he classic wes e n he o and he non- adi ional wes e n he o. The e o e, he analysis o his emale cha ac e will be di ided in wo sec ions: a) Classic Wes e n T ai s and b) New Codes o Beha io . a) Classic Wes e n T ai s The i s ai ha should be men ioned because i is p esen h oughou he ou seasons o Wynonna Ea p is he wes e n’s p edisposi ion o iolence. I is known ha he wes e n gen e is inhe en ly iolen , and ha he he o’s use o iolence and killing o he illainous cha ac e s is ypically jus i ied. Richa d Slo kin when analyzing he my h ha su ounds he Wes and iolence, a gues ha : Wha is dis inc i ely “Ame ican” is no necessa ily he amoun o kind o iolence ha cha ac e izes ou his o y bu he my hic signi icance we ha e assigned o he kinds o iolence we ha e ac ually expe ienced, he o ms o symbolic iolence we imagine o in en , and he poli ical uses o which we pu ha symbolism. (13) Thus, iolence and my h ha e a big in luence on he c ea ion o na a i es and when ce ain s o ies a e linked wi h iolence, hey gain new meanings and symbolism. The same happens in he own o Pu ga o y, because he en i onmen su ounding he emale he o and he o he cha ac e s is al eady iolen and calls o mo e iolence in esponse o he e il ha lu ks in Pu ga o y. In he i s episode o season one en i led “Pu ga o y”, he spec a o lea ns ha he e had been se e al mu de s in he own be o e Wynonna a i ed, in which some o hem a e men ioned − ou young gi ls and Wynonna’s uncle − h ough a con e sa ion be ween Xa ie Dolls and She i Randy Nedley: DOLLS. “Spoken like a man who inds a lo o dead gi ls. And you' e had h ee o 'em in he pas six mon hs. So, you ind..."Kie s en's" head ye ?” NEDLEY. “Which agency did you say you we e om?” DOLLS. “See hose skid ma ks? This isn' he kill si e.” (…) 63 DOLLS. “And hese lace a ions... - de ensi e wounds?” NEDLEY. “Bi e ma ks... om sca enge s. We ha e an o e popula ion o coyo es his summe . Win e will hin ou he pack. You plan o be he e ha long, M ...?” Fu he mo e, hese ype o “inciden s” a e common o he people who chose o li e in Pu ga o y, and hey know ha hey we e much mo e han jus acciden s o animal a acks; hey knew ha he e was some hing supe na u al lu king in own. The own al eady had i s accoun s o c iminali y and iolence wi hou he Ea p hei being he e. When she inally a i es, iolence escala ed e en mo e wi h he e enan s wan ing o kill he . The adap a ion o Wynonna Ea p o ele ision d ama ized he emale cha ac e ’s backg ound s o y. In he comic se ies because he emale he o was he descendan o Wya Ea p ha ing g own up hea ing s o ies abou him and he e was no men ion abou he pa en s. In he TV se ies he he oine’s backg ound is auma izing when i is e ealed she came om a b oken home wi h an alcoholic a he who used o bea he mo he , and a mo he who an away when Wynonna was young. Mo eo e , he e is a palpable inc ease o auma and iolence in he ele ision adap a ion, no only because o he change in mediums, bu also because he na a i e acqui ed a much da ke pe spec i e. I he wes e n space is iolen , so is Wynonna’s pas and p esen . The audience lea ns ha be o e coming o Pu ga o y she had been in a men al ins i u e and ha a e wa ds she became pa o a c iminal g oup called he ‘Bandi os,’ as well as being wan ed o ques ioning in a c iminal case. Fu he mo e, Wynonna Ea p’s job is o elimina e e enan s wi h a sho in he o ehead. He job is bo h killing and p o ec ing, and she acknowledges ha she is good a being a kille h oughou he ou seasons. In episode hi een o Season One “I Walk he Line,” a e killing he sis e , he emale he o says: “Bu i s , I'm gonna kill e e y single e enan om he Rockies o he big ci y. And hen I'm gonna s op ha hing om ge ing in he e;”. Again, in episode wel e o Season Th ee “Wa Pain ” when she is ying o de ea Cloo ie and has associa ed wi h he o he e enan s who also had been cu sed, she admi s: WYNONNA. “Anybody wanna go b eak a goddamn cu se? I *cking lo ed hun ing and killing you all. F om he momen I i s i ed Peacemake ... eally i ed i ... and sen my i s Re enan back o hell, Malcolm...” (…) “I knew i was wha I was mean o do. E en i i was supposed o be someone else... my sis e , Willa... he Ea p hei was gonna be me. I' e ne e said i ou loud o anyone be o e: The only hing I' e e e been any good a is killing. Bu 64 I'm willing o gi e i up. I am willing o go back o being... no much o any hing.” Likewise, in episode six “Holy Wa Pa Two” o Season Fou , when she is ying o ge he gun back, she s a es: WYNONNA. “The cu se may be o e , bu you know wha , ou enemies won’ s op coming jus because we wan hem o. And I know you wan wha I wan : o keep kicking e il ass. Enough bullshi . I do wha needs o be done ‘cause I’m a he o, and you know wha , some imes, ha makes me a kille .” I seems clea he emale he o had a p edisposi ion o iolence all he li e e en when she was no ac i ely hun ing e enan s in he home own. Mo eo e , he use o iolence is usually jus i ied, since mos o he e enan s she killed had mu de ed o he people in hei p e ious li es. The use o iolence is done in he name o jus ice and o inish a cu se ha was a ec ing no only he Ea ps, bu also he people li ing in Pu ga o y. The use o iolence by he emale he o is jus i ied o he spec a o since mo ali y and jus ice a e on he he oine’s side. Tompkins ques ioned he need o e ell his kind o iolen na a i es o e and o e again. E en hough she could no a i e a an exac answe , when e e ing o he use o iolence she a gues ha The en i e pu pose o he pa e n I’ e desc ibed is o ge he audience o he poin whe e i can’ wai ill he he o le s loose wi h six-shoo e s. (…), he e’s a emendous eeling o elie a he momen o discha ge (…). Vengeance, by he ime i a i es, eels biologically necessa y. (228) While also adding ha The s o y can climax, and desi e be sa ed, only i he mo al applause me e eads way o he scale in he he o’s a o . Wha jus i ies his iolence is ha he is in he igh , (…) and can now be pe mi ed o do hings which a sho while ago only he illains did. (…) The he o is so igh ( ha is, so w onged) ha he can kill wi h impuni y. And we a e wi h him one hund ed pe cen . The eeling o sup eme igh eousness (…) is delicious and ha dly o be dis inguished om mu de ousness. (229) Ea p’s hei in Wynonna Ea p is in he same kind o si ua ion and he spec a o is on he side, eeling ha jus ice was se ed, and ha he emale he o did wha was igh . Wynonna s ands apa om he illains because she does no kill people wi hou hinking o wi hou a highe eason, also he demons she killed had been c iminals and con inued 65 o be in hei new li es. As al eady men ioned, he e we e some e enan s who we e no uly e il and had jus commi ed pe y c imes and ound hemsel es cu sed, pa icula ly in Season one. In episode i e “Digging Up Bones” she sho one e enan , Amb ose, who she saw was no a bad pe son, jus had made some bad choices. She o e ed o le him go. This happens be o e Cloo ie was esu ec ed and he cu se could be b oken i she killed him. Fo he o b eak he cu se wi hou killing Cloo ie, she needed o kill he se en y- se en e enan s Wya Ea p had killed in his li e ime. A e she o e ed o le Amb ose go, he e used and asked he o shoo him, which she did: WYNONNA. “I hink i 's ime. You su e you' e OK wi h his?” AMBROSE. “I was always gonna end his way. I don' wan o li e, wai ing o ei he o us o be sho down by he hei . Tha 's no li e.” WYNONNA. “So you' e made you peace?” AMBROSE. “You' e gonna be he one o b eak his cu se, Wynonna. Fo all o us. And I hank you.” WYNONNA. “I'm gonna coun o h ee. OK? One.” The emale he o’s use o iolence can be compa ed o o he wes e n he oes, because she has he same ai s in he cha ac e as cowboys such as he Vi ginian and Shane, men ioned in Chap e One. Wynonna Ea p as a he o and p o ec o o Pu ga o y, he ic ional wes e n space, has on he side jus ice and he igh mo als o jus i y he pulling o he igge and killing ano he pe son. Slo kin, when e e ing o iolence, also adds: When his o y is ansla ed in o my h, he complexi ies o social and his o ical expe iences a e simpli ied and comp essed in o he ac ion o ep esen a i e indi iduals o “he oes”. The na a i e o he he o’s ac ion exempli ies and es s he poli ical and/o mo al alidi y o a pa icula app oach o he use o human powe s in he ma e ial wo ld. The he o’s inne li e — his o he code o alues, mo al o psychic ambi alence, mix u es o mo i e — educes o pe sonal mo i e he complex and con adic o y mix u e o ideological impe a i es (…). The he oes o my h embody some hing like he ull ange o ideological con adic ions a ound which he li e o he cul u e e ol es (…). (13-14) Wynonna Ea p exempli ies Slo kin’s a gumen , since in his wes e n na a i e, she ep esen s and expe imen s wi h mo al issues. He mo ali y and no ion o jus ice − code o alues − and he ad en u es in he wes e n space unc ion as a es o possible esolu ions o issues Ame ican cul u e has p oblems sol ing. Ano he ai di ec ly connec ed wi h he use o iolence is he esponsibili y o he people o Pu ga o y. Since she became a Black’s Di ision Depu y o con ol he supe na u al occu ences in he Ghos Ri e T iangle, she also became he he o o he 66 own, jus like o he male he oes in he wes e n. Jus as some cowboys in he wes e n who had no hing o do wi h iolence di ec ly, being homes eade s and a me s, bu we e ‘ o ced’ in o iolence, in Wynonna’s case she ne e wan ed o be linked wi h he ole o he he o pa icula ly in Pu ga o y, he own whose people saw he as a ebellious nonsense and supposedly men ally uns able Ea p who had go en he a he killed. A he s a o Season One, she is no ecei ed by he ownspeople wi h open a ms. Ins ead he spec a o lea ns ha because o wha happened o he amily she g ew up ac ing ou , causing p oblems and being a ebellious eenage . The iewe also lea ns ha she was w onged by a lo o people in own who had always suspec ed ha he e was mo e o he mu de s and acciden s, bu chose o see hem and he Ea ps as a plague and one o he causes o he oubles b ewing in own. In episode hi een “I Walk he Line” o Season One, a e a pa y gone w ong and when many we e dying o a poison pu in he d inks by he illain Bobo Del Rey, he ownspeople we e old ha i hey go him he Ea p hei dead o ali e, he would gi e hem he an ido e. Wha ollowed was a hun o he hei by he e y same people Wynonna was ying o sa e. She i Nedley was he one who con inced people in own o le he go, by s a ing ha al hough she had had nega i e ac ions, she was he only one who could end he supe na u al occu ences, and sa e hem: NEDLEY. “This is qui e he pickle you go you sel in o, Wynonna.” WYNONNA. “You know me.” NEDLEY. “You ha e been a plague on his own... des oyed a lo o li es... and you we e a oyal pain in my ass. She's also he only sho we go a ge ing ou o his mess. I know you' e sick. I know ha you' e sca ed. So am I. Bu ha man ou he e. Bobo Del Rey and his ilk. They' e no like us. They' e ne e been like us. I we do his... I mean, i we u n in o he ang y mob o igno an illage s ha he hinks we a e ... i we kill one o ou own — and make no mis ake, Wynonna is wha we made he — ... i we do ha , hen well, yeah, we'll be jus like hem.” [indis inc cha e ] “Hell, we'll be wo se because we had a choice.” (…) NEDLEY. “No one's gonna die, Moi a. Wynonna's no gonna le ha happen. Righ ? Go. Fix his.” The emale he o was he black sheep in own, ne e accep ed o who she was and ne e unde s ood o he auma o killing he a he and seeing he olde sis e kidnapped wi hou being able o help he . The ownspeople ne e saw beyond he ebellious ac s, bu in he end, she s ill helped hem and became he Ea p hei while ca ying all he killing and auma ha came om shoo ing people and loosing iends and amily because o he cu se. Two examples ha suppo his can be seen in Season One. Fi s , in episode h ee 73 has made i so a because o he alues, mo ali y and because she knows ha he wo ld is no black and whi e. While she ied o s op iolence and dea h as i was shown in Season Fou he people a ound he eminded he ha uni y migh be a solu ion. Ano he classic ai o he wes e n p oblema ized in he ele ision show is he ejec ion o Ch is iani y, especially shown in Seasons Th ee and Fou because o he exis ence o a po al in he Ghos Ri e T iangle o he Ga den o Eden, whe e he snake Cloo ie wan ed o en e . Jane Tompkins a gues ha i he wes e n ocuses so much on dea h and iolence i is because i denies Ch is iani y (31), adding ha he ejec ion o Ch is iani y is in pa ela ed o he ac ha he chu ch and he domes ic sphe e had been a woman’s space (44). Tompkins also adds ha Fo mos o he nine een h cen u y he wo places women could call hei own in he social s uc u e we e he chu ch and he home. The Wes e n con ains nei he . I is se in a pe iod and in an en i onmen whe e ew women a e o be ound and whe e condi ions a e he wo s possible o hei acqui ing any social powe : a echnology and a code o jus ice bo h o which equi ed physical s eng h in o de o su i e. (…), I hink i is no acciden ha men g a i a ed in imagina ion owa d a womanless milieu (…), and a social se ing ha b anded mos ea u es o ci ilized exis ence as eminine and co up , banishing hem in a o o he h ee main a ge s o women’s e o m: whiskey, gambling, and p os i u ion. (44) Tompkins is igh , because i mo ies and ele ision shows s a ing emale he oes a e compa ed o he numbe o male he oes s a ing in he wes e n gen e, i is clea he numbe s a e much educed. Howe e , change has been happening, since he e a e emale ep esen a ions o women in he wes e n ha demons a e women exis ed in he wes e n, and Ma k Wilde mu h e e ed hem in his book, s a ing ha e en hough he numbe o emale cha ac e s a e ewe han male cha ac e s and ha , consequen ly, male he oes a e p edominan in he wes e n gen e, emale he oes and hei na a i es should no be so easily dismissed, since many o hem p o e ha change is coming and ha women de ini ely should ha e space o hei s o ies o be old (2). Wilde mu h ocused on ‘p o essional women’ who in his de ini ion could be muleskinne s and gunslinge s (8). In Wynonna Ea p and keeping in mind Tompkins’ wo ds abou he ejec ion o Ch is iani y, in he ele ision show he e a e wo majo plo lines shown in Season Th ee and a he beginning o Season Fou which display a clea ejec ion o wha Ch is iani y s ands o . In Season Th ee, episode h ee “Colde Wea he ” he emale he o has o deal wi h he dea h o one o he main cha ac e s, Xa ie Dolls, who sac i iced himsel o sa e hem all. While she is g ie ing and mus deal wi h his une al, he e a e some dialogues 74 ha show ha she and he people a ound he ejec Ch is iani y and ha e a much deepe connec ion wi h na u e and he land, using o he ways o paying espec o hose who a e gone: WYNONNA. “This one's qui e a kick in he box.” HOLLIDAY. “Yes, ma'am.” WYNONNA. “I s ill don' unde s and wha happened o him ou he e on ha ledge.” HOLLIDAY. “We we e dying, Wynonna, and Dolls, he sa ed us.” (…). “Some imes you ge and some imes you ge go . Back in my day...” WYNONNA. “Oh, God, ha en' I su e ed enough?” HOLLIDAY. “Back in my day, gunslinge s ha died wi h hei boo s on hey we e bu ied a Boo Hill. O cou se, i was a lag an popula i y con es . Cac us Pe e, he go in.” (…) “Bu he i ual o i ... se ing a man's ho se loose o un. Placing a ine bo le o whiskey on his g a e...” WYNONNA. “Tha sounds kinda nice.” F om he con e sa ion be ween Holliday and he emale he o i can be seen ha when dea h was in ol ed, jus like in o he wes e ns, in Wynonna Ea p he cha ac e s had a much bigge connec ion wi h he cus oms o he land han wi h he classic i uals o Dea h used by many eligions. They had hei own way o emembe ing and laying hei iends o es . Addi ionally, in Season Fou , episode wo “F iends in Low Places”, when Wynonna’s sis e , Wa e ly, was apped in he Ga den o Eden, being he p isone o a illainous E e, he e is he ollowing dialogue: EVE. “God... hasn' been he e o a long, long ime. Yup. He hi i , hen he qui i . Le humani y on ead.” WAVERLY. “Maybe we should jus , like, chill on he God alk.” EVE. “And wha kind o ba shi playg ound expe imen o c ea ion was his?” A he end o his episode, he emale he o was able o sa e Wa e ly om he Ga den, bu no wi hou consequences: i was impe a i e ha an angel s ayed behind o keep wa ch o e he p ison. Howe e , Wa e ly (pa angel) did no s ay o gua d he p ison, and an e il E e was eed in he p ocess: WAVERLY. “The gua dians o he ga den do no ge o lea e.” WYNONNA. “You a e no jus he gua dian. You a e an Ea p.” (…) WYNONNA. “The cu se is o e , Wa es, i 's ime o s a li ing o ou sel es.” WAVERLY. “Wynonna... Help.” WYNONNA. “All his des iny, cu se, a e, hei s o any hing bullshi ? I 's cancelled.” 75 Thus, om he wo examples men ioned be o e, besides he emale he o and he iends ha ing hei own ules abou g ie ing and une als, and e en i hey belie ed ha Hell exis ed, hey always ound a way o de ia e om he des ined pa h ha o he supe na u als had seen o laid down o he Ea ps. This can be seen in Season Fou when Wynonna was o le Wa e ly go, and she did no , unleashing e il in he p ocess. The emale he o p e e s o belie e in hei eali y and ha hey can choose, and i ha eali y is ques ioned, she igh s o keep i . Rela ed o his, Tompkins a gues ha “(…) he gen e ejec s o ganized eligion (…) emb acing ma e , physical ac s, and physical o ce as ul ima ely eal (…). The Wes e n needs a se ing, and a se o belie s, whe e s eng h coun s mo e han p aye ” (34). In Wynonna Ea p, he connec ion o he land in Pu ga o y is much mo e symbolic and has much mo e weigh in he emale he o’s li e han eligion does. The land, which is a opic no immedia ely disce nible in he wes e n and in his ele ision se ies, has deep symbolism and i con ains e e y hing he emale he o ca es abou . Tompkins has also aken his issue in o conside a ion by a guing ha The in e ac ion be ween he o and landscape lies a he gen e’s cen e , o e shadowed in he popula image o he Wes e n by gun igh s and chases, bu no less essen ial o he expe ience Wes e ns p o ide. In he end, he land is e e y hing o he he o; i is bo h he des ina ion and he way. He cou s i , s uggles wi h i , de ies i , conque s i , and lies down wi h i a nigh . (81) The e o e, he land holds meaning o he he o in he wes e n, and e en i iolence and dea h had a bigge display han he symbolism o he land, he wes e n landscape is whe e he he oes wen h ough ha ing ad en u es and acing dea h. I is he wes e n land ha holds he he oes’ memo ies and hei li es. Ul ima ely, as Neil Campbell a gues in The Cul u es o he Ame ican New Wes he ela ionship wi h he land in he wes e n is a a he complica ed one: Applied o he Wes , his app oach o he li ed expe ience o space and he ela ions be ween humani y and land discou ages educ ionism and enables landscape o be ‘ ead’ as a complex, mul ilaye ed cons uc ion mixing memo y and desi e, my h and eali y, bu always e ealing ideology. (42) 76 b) New Codes o Beha io In addi ion o he analyzed issues and subjec s common o wes e ns, he e a e o he ai s and subjec s which challenge he old ways o he Wes . Among hem, he challenging o ideas o masculini y and he my h ha su ounds he wes e n, issues ha would be expec ed in a 21s cen u y wes e n. Neil Campbell in Pos -Wes e ns Cinema, Region, Wes e e s o an impo an concep when discussing con empo a y wes e ns, ha o “phan om a chi ec u e” (2). This is a wes e n space occupied wi h buildings and elics o he wes e n pas and, a he same ime, buildings connec ed o he p esen . In Wynonna Ea p, he su ounding space is illed wi h buildings and i ems ha ela e bo h o he wes e n pas – he Ea p homes ead and Sho y’s saloon – and he wes e n p esen – he she i ’s o ice and he high school building. Rela ed o he changes in he wes e n space, lack o ho ses in his wes e n should be men ioned. I is ue ha his ele ision adap a ion is a wei d wes e n, in ol ing a ious elemen s ha a i s seem disconnec ed om each o he . Howe e , he wes e n is s ill a he show’s cen e , and in Wynonna Ea p, ho ses a e ba ely e e seen. Ins ead, he e is he emale he o’s lo e o mo o cycles, hus eplacing and mode nizing old opes o he wes e n’s pas , some hing ha was no new. 12 Ho ses ha e always been pa o he wes e n gen e, e en i hey we e no gi en much a en ion, besides being he ide o he main he o as well as o he cha ac e s. The use o ho ses in he wes e n ela es o a connec ion wi h na u e and he landscape, since he cha ac e s ide li ing animals o ge h ough he landscape. Tompkins e e ed o ho ses a guing ha in he wes e n “…[m]o e han any o he single elemen in he gen e, hey symbolize he desi e o ecupe a e some los connec ion o li e” (94), bu ha no mally hey a e no gi en much a en ion by c i ics (90). In Wynonna Ea p, he he oine is ne e seen iding a ho se, bu a mo o cycle le o he by he uncle. I is in e es ing o no ice he compa ison made by Doc Holliday when Wynonna i s saw he bike in episode six “Cons an C a ings” o Season One: WYNONNA. “1200 s age one Sc eaming Eagle!” (…) WAVERLY. “No, Cu is's will s ipula ed ha he bike goes o Wynonna.” (…) WYNONNA. “I knew we we e soulma es. Ohhh!”. (Wynonna pu ing). “Wha am I going o name his sexy beas ? Doc!” 12 The change and mode niza ion o an old and classic ai o he wes e n has been seen in ilms like Ha ley Da idson and he Ma lbo o Man (1991) and Ghos Ride (2007). 77 DOC. “Ne e seen a cowgi l look mo e a home in he saddle.” Wynonna’s lo e o mo o cycles ins ead o ho ses demons a es ha he wes e n has been changing, and ha i has adap ed o mode n imes, hus applying Campbell’s phan om a chi ec u e. The e is ano he subjec in Wynonna Ea p ha clashes wi h he classic wes e n cowboy. Wynonna Ea p has g own up as a ‘lone wol ’, bu i is when she decides o s ay in own ha he spec a o uly sees he he oic po en ial. She is s ill a lone , capable o aking ca e o he sel , and she is seen as a de e mined and s ong indi idual o be a ound. She is he cha ac e in he se ies ha ca ies a ound he bu den o killing and always ha ing o be on ale i she does no wan o ge killed. Howe e , she is also he mos b oken and auma ized cha ac e o he ele ision se ies. No o he cha ac e is as emo ionally uns able and auma ized as he emale he o shows o be. Th oughou he ou seasons he spec a o wa ches he emale he o y o deal wi h he pas , and a he same ime deal wi h he losses b ough on by he p esen esponsibili ies as he Ea p hei : Willa’s, Sho y’s and Doll’s dea hs. Adding o his is he weigh o killing and he consequen doub s abou he cos o pulling he igge which has al eady been men ioned be o e. All hese issues a e deal wi h using oxic and p oblema ic ways, usually in ol ing alcohol and sex. Wynonna Ea p is a b oken he o who has e y di e en beha io s o he classic wes e n he o whom he spec a o mo e o en han no sees as pe ec e en i emo ionally closed o . While he cowboy was o en he embodimen o mo ali y, jus ice and many o he emale cha ac e s we e de o ed o being mo he s and aking ca e o he house, Wynonna Ea p demons a es ha a di e en kind o he o migh exis in he wes e n, a he o who is humanly lawed like all humani y. She s ands in a g ey a ea be ween he old wes e n he o and he ise o a new he o wi h a new code o beha io . The classic wes e n he o is in gene al emo ionally closed o , ne e opens up abou how he eels and subsequen ly does no show how uly a ec ed he is by he dea h and loss o iends and amily. Wynonna is he opposi e because e en when she does no speak, she d owns he sel in alcohol and i is clea ly seen how hings a ec he . The e a e wo examples ha demons a e his. In Season One, episode nine “Bu y Me wi h My Guns On” he spec a o wa ches he d own he sel in alcohol, a e she was 78 kidnapped by he se en h demon who was in ol ed in he kidnapping o he olde sis e Willa. She inally kills he se en h and las demon, and a e he spec a o sees he d inking a lo , dance wi h e e y man in Sho y’s saloon, while she had lashbacks o he demon who had almos cu he open. The dialogue be ween Wynonna and Holliday exempli ies he dilemma: HOLLIDAY. “The hing abou an Ea p, hey a e su i o s o he co e. Quick o eco e , enacious, commi ed o hei cause.” WYNONNA. “Hey! Hey, s ange guy!” HOLLIDAY. “The hing abou his Ea p is she is all hese hings, wi h demons o miles.” WYNONNA. “Ah! I'm ee. I'm good.” (…) WYNONNA. “I hough I'd eel di e en . I hough I'd look di e en .” HOLLIDAY. “You nea pe ished a he hands o a maniac.” WYNONNA. “I'm no alking abou ha . The se en mu de ous spawns o Hell ha a acked he homes ead and killed Willa a e dead.” HOLLIDAY. “Well, you said you'd ge hem, and you go 'em.” WYNONNA. “Bu his sp ing, coiled so igh in me? I 's jus as igh , Doc. “ HOLLIDAY. F om my expe ience and I' e go some you elease he age, you migh ind he e's no hing le . WYNONNA. “Wo s o une-cookie ad ice e e . I ha e his s upid cu se. Wha did Wya do o mess us all up so bad?” HOLLIDAY. “He always aimed o be a good man. I migh be i didn' ake. In he end, i 's men like me who o en su i e.” WYNONNA. “Then maybe i 's be e o be bad.” Alcohol is used o escape wha she had been h ough and wha she el a e wa ds and s ill he anguish emains. In Season ou , episode se en “Lo e’s All O e ” he iewe can, once again, see he emale he o ollowing a pa h o sel -des uc ion. This ime because she and Doc Holliday (he lo e in e es ) could no ag ee on he killing o Hol Claybo n, she d owned he sel in alcohol and has sex wi h he demon Amon, a e which he ollowing dialogue occu s: AMON. “Now he e's he Ea p sis e I like. Haza dous, ho , hal -in- he-bag.” WYNONNA. “I wasn' su e i you'd be alone.” AMON. “Deme i? He le a e I le him yell some nonsense abou how I ha e no soul.” WYNONNA. “Been he e. Ha ed i .” AMON. “I was mos ly bo ed. I guess I am a mons e .” WYNONNA. “Who gi es a uck?” AMON. “I hough you wan ed o kill me.” WYNONNA. “All I wan is... o s op eeling guil y o wha I am. When wha I am... is necessa y.” AMON. “You' e a... You' e a con using woman.” 79 The guil she eels leads he o ac ecklessly and, in bo h examples, she is shown o be humanly lawed jus like o he human beings. The wes e n male he o migh be d awn as almos lawless and wi h he igh alues, placing him in a highe es eem han o he cha ac e s in he Wes o he spec a o , bu i is wi h he oes like Wynonna Ea p ha wes e n na a i es c ea e mo e space o a new ype o he o ha is mo e accessible o he iewe . Thus, wha dis inguishes his emale he o om he wes e n male cha ac e is he impe ec ions, and as he he o in his na a i e his is wha a ac s mos spec a o s o his wes e n, since she is special and s ill e y human a he co e. 13 He laws, auma, and he doub s abou he li e, make he look a li e in Pu ga o y and he igh agains e il as no being black and whi e. While in mos wes e n na a i es he igh agains e il and he illains is black and whi e, in Wynonna Ea p no hing is simple: no he o is comple ely igh eous and good, and no e e y illain is exclusi ely e il. This ele ision adap a ion c ea ed a na a i e which shows how complex and complica ed humani y is and he use o iolence and dea h is no po ayed as black and whi e as i is in mos wes e ns. Fu he mo e, he e is ano he ai ha se s aside his emale he o om o he wes e ns which is he eam ha backs he up. Th oughou he ou seasons he emale he o ma u ed and opened up o a g oup o people whom she s a ed o see as he amily. Since she had los he amily when she was young, she hough she did no dese e o be lo ed and o lo e back o he people, a e he a he ’s and sis e ’s dea hs. Howe e , h oughou he se ies a g oup o people, which include he sis e Wa e ly, Nicole Haugh , Xa ie Dolls, Doc Holliday and Je emy Che i, we e able o ge h ough he emale he o’s loss and build a s ong ela ionship wi h he . Wynonna Ea p is no he i s emale he o (and hope ully no he las ) o ha e a eam o back he up, because he same has been seen in Bu y he Vampi e Slaye , Bi ds o P ey and e en in Wes wo ld wi h Mae e. Wha dis inguishes Wynonna’s eam has o do wi h he ac ha in classic wes e n na a i es he he o is almos always he one who sa es he day, lea ing behind hose he wishes o p o ec om dange . In The Vi ginian and Shane ha was he case, since, espec i ely, in he o me , he Vi ginian de ea ed he illain alone while his iancée s ayed in he ho el; 13 The emale he o exp esses mo e ac i ely how she eels, bu she uses alcohol as he cope mechanism which is no mally used by male he oes. The choice o alcohol o he emale he o, whiskey, is no conside ed a women’s be e age, bu commonly seen being d unk by male he oes. 80 and in he la e , Shane wen ou alone o igh agains he illains because he el he was he only one who should do i , e en i he go himsel killed in he p ocess. When wes e n na a i es ollow he mos adi ional s o ies o he cowboy ge ing in o own and sa ing he own om he illains, he he o almos always ac s alone in he end because he has he bes skills among all he men and women in own. Howe e , as men ioned in chap e one, he wes e n has been changing and allowing di e en s o ies o be old. One o hose changes is ela ed o he g oup o people ha help he main he o. In Wynonna Ea p he na a i e always shi s owa d one na a i e plo : he emale he o’s amily and iends always ha e he back e en when she belie es ha she is he only one who can sa e hem all. No hing can ake away om he emale he o ha she is he only one who can sa e e e yone om e enan s and o he mons e s, bu i i we e no o he eam, she would no ha e he success a e she has as a demon kille , and she would no ge ou ali e om mos o he missions. The exis ence o a eam ha backs up he main he o is impo an o discuss, since in his emale na a i e a new idea is p oposed o wes e ns: ha uni y and coope a ion a e be e han one he o going ou alone and isking his li e. Ha ing a eam as a backup migh mean he di e ence be ween li ing ano he day o dying alone. The wes e n glo i ies he he o o his capaci y o sac i ice so ha o he s can li e, and when he he o dies o disappea s while he sun se s, he spec a o sees how people li e happily because o wha he he o sac i iced o hem. Usually he wes e n c ea es a sense o peace wi h wha he he o accomplished, bu also a hin o sadness o he he o’s dea h/disappea ance. As al eady men ioned, Wynonna Ea p is he main he o, bu she would no be he he o ha she is wi hou he eam. They would all sac i ice hemsel es o each o he . The alue o he he o’s sac i ice is s ill espec ed in his ele ision se ies, bu his se ies demons a es ha dea h migh be u he away due o he people ha he he o su ounds he sel wi h. An example o his can be seen in Season Th ee, episode wel e “Wa Pain ”, in which he emale he o wan ed o igh Cloo ie alone. She d ugged he iends’ d inks, es ained Doc Holliday, while he sis e was s uck in he s ai s ha led o he ga den o Eden. In he end, she kills he demon bu is abou o die since he demon was able o sink his poison ee h in o he blood sys em. She was p epa ed o die, bu was sa ed by Doc Holliday who sucked he enom ou while he ollowing dialogue occu s: 81 WAVERLY. “No!!” WYNONNA. “Son o a Cob a Kai.” WAVERLY. “Wynonna!”. (Shou ing). “Wynonna, le me ou a he e! Don' you da e die on me, idio !” WYNONNA. “I 's okay. You'll be ine, baby gi l.” WAVERLY. “No! No!! No!!” WYNONNA. “Whe e' e you been?” HOLLIDAY. “You le me handcu ed, and bound in a ci cle o holy wa e . Remembe ?” WYNONNA. “Excuses, excuses. You suck.” HOLLIDAY. “Thanks.” WYNONNA. “No, I mean you sucked ou he enom. How'd I as e?” HOLLIDAY. “He oic.” Thus, he emale he o was p epa ed o die o de ea he demon who had e o ized Pu ga o y o cen u ies. Howe e , as o en happens, because she had a eam she su i ed o li e and igh ano he day. Ano he cha ac e is ic ha en iches his wes e n na a i e is ela ed o gende ep esen a ion and sexuali y. Ha ing al eady analyzed he emale he o’s de ian pe sonali y when she is compa ed o he classic male he o o he wes e n and women, he e is ye he need o alk abou he emale he o’s sexuali y and how he ele ision show ep esen s a much mo e inclusi e na a i e ou Wes . This ele ision se ies shows he iewe how inclusi e he wes e n space can ac ually be, i only TV p oduce s allow space o his kind o na a i es o be old. Rela ed o his subjec Neil Campbell’s a gumen abou hyb idi y and how he wes e n has been allowing di e en s o ies o be old a e impo an o be men ioned once again, because Wynonna Ea p c ea ed a space whe e bo h men and women a e com o able o be who hey a e and open abou hei sexuali ies. Th oughou he ou seasons he e ha e been ecu en cha ac e s who demons a e how his wes e n is di e se and inclusi e: om Wa e ly Ea p and Nicole Haugh ’s oman ic ela ionship o Je emy Che i who is homosexual, he TV show has been elaying a message o spec a o s saying ha i is mo e han okay o ha e di e en sexual o ien a ions and ha he wes e n is a space whe e di e en s o ies can be old openly, despi e i s known limi a ion o add ess and show di ec ly o he sexual o ien a ions besides he e osexuali y. As al eady men ioned, he wes e n gen e is majo ly male and he e osexual, cons aining o he sexual o ien a ions and gende s on sc een and pape . The ela ionships ha appea mo e on sc een a e he e osexual, bu i can be a gued ha unde nea h he 82 iolence and igh s be ween men he e is a p opensi y o homoe o icism. Tompkins when e e ing o women in he wes e n a gued ha some imes Female “sc een” cha ac e s, who a e eally ex ensions o he men hey a e pai ed wi h, pe o m his alibi unc ion all he ime, masking he ac ha wha he men a e eally in e es ed in is one ano he . Wes e n no els and mo ies ell s o ies ha s em om he posi ions men occupy in he social s uc u e, and ell hem om he man’s poin o iew, bu hey concen a e on male-male ela ionships. (40) Hence, i is no new ha he wes e n masks homosexuali y behind emale cha ac e s pa icula ly in na a i e plo s in which he wo male cha ac e s spend mos o hei ime wi h each o he and become e y amilia , and e en in ima e wi h each o he . F om classic wes e n mo ies like The Big Sky (1952) o wes e n ele ision shows like The Lone Range (1949), i can be seen ha he wes e n’s majo ocus was on male ela ionships, hin ing some imes om he way he male cha ac e s ca ed o each o he ha he e was much mo e o hei ela ionships han wha was e e going o be shown o he spec a o s. One wes e n ha had a lo o a en ion and c i icism was B okeback Moun ain (2005) which clea ly showed and ocused on a homosexual ela ionship be ween he wo male cha ac e s. The e o e, he wes e n has had seconda y meanings behind some o he ela ionships be ween male cha ac e s, and wi h app oaches such as B okeback Moun ain, he gen e has become mo e open o add ess oman ic ela ionships be ween men and e en women. Wynonna Ea p is p oo o ha and nowadays is admi ed by he LGBTQIA+ communi y because o he way i add esses ela ionships and sexual o ien a ion. Wa e ly and Nicole’s ela ionship since Season One has been one o he mos alued ep esen a ions o a homosexual ela ionship on ele ision. Emily And as who had been p e iously in ol ed in Los Gi l, which ells he s o y o a bisexual succubus, alked abou he quee ness in Wynonna Ea p du ing an in e iew o he Ad oca e, “Wynonna Ea p's C ea o and S a s on I s Au hen ic Quee Legacy”: I was e y imme sed in quee cul u e and quee s o y elling. Pa icula ly inso a as deli e ing ha h ough gen e, and [I] ealized he e was jus a huge amoun o gen e ans who iden i y as LGBTQIA and we e no being se ed by gen e s o ies. When I was gi en Beau Smi h’s comic book Wynonna Ea p, a couple hings eally appealed o me…. Wi h his one, I eally did ge goosebumps, because i had a eally s ong emale cha ac e (…). She was a descendan o 89 who has he own aul s and impe ec ions can be a he o in wes e ns and o he gen es. Bu , e en i his is wha he ele ision show s ands o and is, consequen ly, ollowed by ans because o i , i can also be easily c i icized when, unnecessa ily, he emale he o is unde mined by aking he clo hes o on came a o when he came a ocuses excessi ely on he bu . Je ey B own when discussing Wonde Woman men ioned he o e sexualiza ion o emale he oes and wha he a gued can also be applied o Wynonna Ea p. He s a ed ha many o he ideas ha su ound Wonde Woman clash wi h each o he because she is a he same ime sexualized by a male audience and seen as a eminis symbol by a emale audience; consequen ly, as hese ideas clash ( oo sexualized s emale symbol) i migh explain why he ac ion he o is complex: p og essi e and in e es ing ye s ill seen as a sexual objec by some (235). The same happens o his emale he o because she is a he same ime sexualized and ye a s ong, powe ul woman and he o who is able o s and on he own in a p edominan ly masculine wo ld and s and ou as a woman who is as powe ul and compe en as o he male he oes. E en hough he e is a emale p oduce behind he ele ision adap a ion o Wynonna Ea p, he e is s ill a need o ge mo e audiences, and one needs o emembe ha his is s ill a p edominan ly male business. In addi ion, i is also impo an o analyze he eadap a ion o his emale he o’s na a i e om ele ision o comics. 3.2. Readap a ion o Wynonna Ea p om Showing o Telling Reminding Linda Hu cheon and Siobhan O’Flynn on he p ocess o adap a ion ac oss di e en gen es and mediums, he p ocess o eadap ing a na a i e o ano he gen e is complex since he eadap a ion needs o keep i sel ue o he p e ious na a i e and cha ac e s. The p ocess o shi ing ac oss gen es in he case o Wynonna Ea p implica ed ha he new comic book se ies had o be inse ed in he na a i e old in he ele ision show. Subsequen ly, based on he new na a i e old in he ele ision show c ea ed by Emily And as, ou comic book se ies we e published by IDW Publishing and Beau Smi h ollowing ai h ully he na a i e o he ele ision se ies – Wynonna Ea p: Homecoming 90 (2016), Wynonna Ea p: Legends (2017), Wynonna Ea p: Season Ze o (2018) and Wynonna Ea p: Bad Day a Black Rock (2019). The na a i es o he ou comic book se ies ollow he changes b ough on by And as in he ele ision show, and e en i he gen e is di e en , spec a o s om he TV show can easily ollow he comics o his emale he o. The comics we e published a e he ele ision show ai ed and based on he na a i e old by i , hus he e a e some subjec s ha should be highligh ed: 1- he emale he o’s sexualiza ion and how he clo hes con inue o connec he o he Wes as a he o; 2- alue o uni y o e iolence; and 3- he in luence o Wya Ea p’s ghos o e he emale he o. In he ou comic se ies o his emale he o, he eade ollows ad en u es ha a e ela ed o he main plo line showed in he ele ision se ies, bu he e a e sligh changes especially in he addi ion o wo cha ac e s – Valdez and Smi y – who, espec i ely, in he ele ision show appea as a eenage and he la e does no appea a all. The i s aspec ela es o he emale he o’s sexualiza ion in he comics and how he clo hes hold symbolism as a he o in he wes e n. Like many o he emale cha ac e s in comics, such as Wonde Woman, he igu e o Wynonna is s ill sexualized in hese comics jus like in he ele ision show. S ill, in he comics published a e he show she is less sexualized han in he ele ision show and in he p e ious comic se ies discussed in Chap e Two. E en i he emale he o is less sexualized, one o he main conce ns e en nowadays is ha emale he oes ha e o be a ac i e, so ha hey can d aw audiences o wa ch he shows and ead he comics. Jus like Wonde Woman¸ Wynonna Ea p is a ac i e and hus a ac s audiences while, a he same ime, she is a he oine who ad oca es o women saying ha hey can be s ong and he he oines in a male domina ed medium. Fu he mo e, ela ed o his subjec a e he clo hes ha connec he o he Wes as he example shown in Fig. 6: 91 Fig. 6. Wynonna Ea p: Season Ze o #3 (n. p), 2018. This example shows ha he emale he o is being sexualized, bu in a much- educed way, e en i she was d awn wi h exposed skin and wi h an a ac i e physical igu e. Howe e , i does no comp omise he as a he o since she s ill s ands as a s ong and b a e indi idual while igh ing c iminals. This image exempli ies he a hes poin ha his emale he o’s sexualiza ion wen in all he ou comic se ies published a e he c ea ion o he ele ision show. Mo eo e , his image shows how he clo hes symbolically connec he o he Ea p lineage and wi h he wes e n: he boo s, he black lea he jacke (which in he ou comics was d awn wi h inges a ound he a ms), and especially he o ange ‘wild ag’ o sca he emale he o ca ies a ound he neck which symbolically connec s he o he Wes . Thus, she is again a mix u e o sexualiza ion and empowe men . Simila ly, like in he ele ision show, in he comics he emale he o is in ull con ol o he sel and is sexually ee. As a esul , he choice o clo hing e lec s ha con ol o e he sexuali y and he body. Then, e en i because o audiences, emale he oes end o be sexualized o a ac mo e spec a o s and eade s, Wynonna Ea p s ill s ands s ong and powe ul as a woman and he o o he wes e n in hese comics. The emale he o’s sexualiza ion does no unde mine and educe he powe and s eng h as a he o, i makes Wynonna Ea p s onge because she is pa o he ongoing ba le o emale he oes 92 who migh be sexualized, bu a e shown owning hei iden i ies, sexuali y, and powe in masculine domina ed a eas like he wes e n gen e. I is h ough he oes like his one ha he wes e n ques ions i sel on he way i has been ep esen ing women h oughou ime and space. Fu he mo e, he e is a second cha ac e is ic p esen in hese ou comics ha should be men ioned: he alue o uni y and amily o e he idea o he lonesome he o o he wes e n. The eadap a ion o he comic se ies kep highligh ing his subjec which can be especially seen when he emale he o con inues o su ound he sel in missions wi h a eam o people whom she calls amily. An example o his can be seen in Figu e 7 in which he eam and he emale he o had o ake back con ol o a p ison om which he mos dange ous supe na u al elons managed o ee hemsel es: Fig. 7. Wynonna Ea p: Bad Day a Black Rock, (n.p), 2019. 93 This image, jus like in he ele ision se ies, shows he emale he o wi h a eam o people who help he succeed in he missions. The idea o showing in he comics a wes e n he o su ounded by a eam is impo an and is linked wi h he new app oach he wes e n has been ha ing. No mally, he he oes o he Wes igh hei enemies alone and a hei own pe sonal cos , pu ing hei li es on he line. In wes e ns like Wynonna Ea p a new idea has been p oposed ha ques ions he my h and beha io o he classic wes e n he o: uni y and iendship be ween people who igh oge he o achie e a common goal and o ba le a common enemy, should be an idea wes e ns should apply mo e in i s na a i es. As Wilde mu h has a gued when he alked abou iolence and uni y (155), wes e n TV shows, comics, mo ies and o he o ma s which add ess he consequences o he use o iolence and sugges ha uni y and iendship migh be answe s o i , ha e impo an messages o ansmi o people and help e ise he my h ha su ounds he wes e n. As men ioned be o e, i is uni y and iendship be ween he emale he o and o he s ha is essen ial o he he o’s su i al h oughou he li e. The possibili y o dea h o he emale he o and he eam always hangs in he ai e en in he comics, bu because o hei iendship and uni y, dea h migh be delayed because o he us ha hey ha e in each o he . Addi ionally, he e is one las ai ha should be conside ed in wha conce ns he comics published a e he TV se ies, and ha is he no iceable bigge in luence in he comics o Wya Ea p’s ghos o e he emale he o. Because o he p ocess o eadap ing he na a i e om showing o elling, one o he pe ks o i is how easy i is o c ea e s o ies in which people who ha e died can appea easily as i hey we e ali e. In ele ision he same could ha e been done, bu he igu e o Wya Ea p was ne e add essed in such a way. In he comics, Wya Ea p appea s as a ghos in he i s comic se ies Wynonna Ea p: Homecoming, published alongside he i s ele ision season, o help he emale he o igh supe na u al illains who had been enemies o he Ea p amily. I is impo an o e e again o Wya Ea p’s ghos because he con inues o be a shadow o e his emale he o, like he was in he ele ision se ies. In he TV show e en i he would always be p esen when anyone alked abou he Ea p he o, he emale he o s ill made he own way h ough he missions wi h he eam as backup. The e o e, e en hough she would always be linked wi h Wya Ea p, he comics, like he ele ision se ies, demons a e ha he emale he o’s he i age does no jus i y he success as an agen and he o, since i is shown ha Wynonna Ea p is who she is because o he amily she chose, he eam. In he comics, 94 ime and ime again, he eade can see ha i was he people a ound he , who we e no ela ed o he , ha molded who she would become as a he o. The emale he o migh ca y Peacemake and be connec ed o Wya Ea p, bu she is a he o because o he eam which helps he in missions, since she o e came ad e si ies in he li e ha could change someone’s pa h d as ically. Thus, a e analyzing he emale he o’s ele ision se ies and comics, i can be said ha e en hough he e a e laws o hem, i is wi h wes e n na a i es like hese ones ha he wes e n gen e will con inue i s e ision, allowing i o change and ell s o ies abou women as he oes. They migh open mo e space o o he emale he oes o appea , passing on he message ha women, like men, can be he oic. They jus had o be gi en na a i es in which hey had eedom o play oles di e en om he de imen al and subse ien cha ac e s gi en o women in o he wes e ns. 95 Conclusion: The Pe sis ence o Female He oes in he Wes e n Th oughou he 20 h cen u y un il oday, emale he oes ha e been success ul and well ecei ed in ilms and ele ision adap a ions, bu mos o all in comics. None heless, e en i hey a e success ul, emale he oes, such as Wonde Woman and Annie Oakley, men ioned du ing he cou se o his analysis, ha e always been associa ed and app oached as cha ac e s wi h a double s anda d. They a e shown as eminis ole models o gi ls and adul women, while being unde mined by hei sexual appeal and a ac i eness which was boos ed by he way hei bodies we e d awn, so ha hey would each mo e male audiences. Th oughou he yea s, women ha e looked up a emale he oes in pu sui o ole models and answe s on how hey should look and beha e in socie y, and o en imes he answe s hey ge om wha hey see emale he oes do and wea , makes hem wonde abou how independen emale he oes a e, posing ques ions such as: how a ha e emale he oes gone o decons uc and unde mine s e eo ypical images c ea ed by a dominan masculine cul u e. Answe s o ques ions like his one a e di icul and complex o be gi en, since oday emale he oes s ill embody his double s anda d because mediums such as comics, ele ision and cinema a e s ill male domina ed a eas, and his ac anspi es o mos adap a ions o emale he oes in need o a ac ing audiences. An in e es ing and complex esul was eached by Nickie Phillips and S aci S obl when hey su eyed eade s o comics abou wha ype o comics hey ead and wha ype o he oes hey we e looking o . Thei indings we e ocused on one media, bu ul ima ely, hey show he gene al pic u e o wha o he di e se he oes s and o nowadays: While he pas decade o so has opened up possibili ies o he oes o di e ence, he e emains a endency o comic book cha ac e s’ ace and sexual o ien a ion o e lec hose o hei c ea o s (…). As i s ands, he indus y lags behind in p o iding ully dimensional he oes o di e si y. Un il ha happens, he ques ion o whe he gay, black, o emale he oes a e “belie able” o “ ela able” will con inue o be posed. Al e na i ely, he lack o di e si y could make hese books mo e com o able o eade s who emain in p i ileged posi ions wi hin whi e hegemony and pa ia chy. (…). In la ge con ex s, such as Comic Cons, men equen ly ou numbe women. A one poin in he e iew o (…) discussion boa ds and podcas s, (…) male ans migh be mo e socially com o able a ound 96 hypo he ical aliens and zombies han a ound emales, pa icula ly “s ong” emales. (242) He oes ha s and ou as di e en om he common he e osexual no ma i e male he o, ei he because o he colo o hei skin, sexual o ien a ion o gende a e much mo e suscep ible o c i icism because hey look and ac di e en om hose ypical he oes. E en i many eade s look o cha ac e s ha a e simila o hem, he ac s ands ha he indus y con inues o ocus on male, whi e he e osexual cha ac e s o e o he mo e complex and di e se cha ac e s. The wes e n gen e, which no mally always ga e mo e spo ligh o male he e osexual he oes and o e looked o he he oes such as women, has been e ising i sel by gi ing mo e ocus o o he s o ies o he oism and pe spec i es in he Wes . Hence, many mo e emale he oes ha e been appea ing in a ious gen es and mediums ad oca ing o women o ha e he same ep esen a ion and equal oppo uni ies ha men ha e always been gi en. In he wes e n, cha ac e s such as Dolo es Abe na hy, Mae e Millay, Ca asyn hia Dune and Wynonna Ea p ha e helped o make way o o he women. Likewise, pa hs and spaces ha ha e been only ho oughly explo ed by men in he wes e n a e now being explo ed by emale he oes who u ned he wes e n gen e in o a mo e complex and open space o ell o he na a i es. The e is s ill a long way o go, especially when i comes o o he s o ies ha ha e been le ou on pu pose om he me ana a i e being old, like pe spec i es and s o ies o Na i e Ame icans. The ocus o his analysis we e emale he oes, and p ima ily on he a ious adap a ions o Wynonna Ea p, since she is a p ime example o a success ul sub e sion o e a domina ed masculine space. She s ands as he he o o he communi y and en o ces he idea ha women can be wha e e hey wan o be. In Wynonna Ea p, women a e ne e ied down o a man. They can be he oic, independen and, ul ima ely, he na a i e o he emale he o and o he side cha ac e s in his imagined wes e n space sugges s ha he ide is slowly u ning, making way o mo e women o appea in he wes e n as he oes. The p esen s udy o Wynonna Ea p showed ha he ele ision show was one o he ew in which spec a o s could wa ch openly wha he Wes could be like o emale he oes. The ele ision adap a ion and comics a e no wi hou aul , bu p edominan ly he image hey gi e o women is close o ha o male he oes and hey can be he he oes o communi ies. 97 In “Wynonna Ea p C ea o Emily And as Talks Season 5 S o y Ideas and he Legacy o he Se ies,” And as alked abou wha we e he main ideas when c ea ing he se ies: I’m eally in e es ed in aking adi ional male spaces in a gen e and jus aking all he people who would no mally be on he ma gins o he s o y and making hem he he oes. I eally lo e he idea o aking a Wes e n wi h Wynonna Ea p and making he women he gunslinge s and he quee cha ac e s he he oes. They’ e e en he angels … I eel ha ’s jus wha I wan o do going o wa d wi h my s o y elling. I jus don’ wan o e e go back. I hink ha ’s wha b ings me joy, and I hink he passion o he audience shows ha he e’s jus a huge, huge anbase ou he e o amilia wo lds and amilia gen e old h ough a comple ely unique and di e en se o eyes. A e he cancella ion o Wynonna Ea p due o lack o capi al and complica ions because o Co id19, he u u e s ill seems b igh o emale he oes in he wes e n and in o he gen es as And as a gues, because andom and audiences a e s ill looking o wa d o mo e s o ies o emale he oes o be c ea ed and adap ed o o he mediums. In he wes e n gen e, Wes wo ld has inished ilming i s season ou , and also in o he gen es emale he oes such as WandaVision (2021) and he ecen news o he ele ision adap a ion o She- Hulk (2022) ha e been helping o make way o mo e women o appea in impo an oles and na a i es. No only did Wynonna Ea p ele ision se ies help b ing o he o e he issue o lack o emale ep esen a ion and o o he s ac oss di e en mediums and gen es, bu i also helped ad oca e o a socie y in which women can see amilia aces and na a i es whe e hey a e ep esen ed. Likewise, he wes e n gen e opened up new space o o he di e se and complex s o ies o be old, b oadening he ange o issues and people i ep esen s as Neil Campbell has a gued: The (…) na u e o New Wes e n ep esen a ion has aken up hese subal e n oices o asse di e ence and coun e he claims o a adi ional, linea , and o en my hic his o y. (2000:14) The shi in he na a i es old in his gen e has inally been gi ing oice o emale he oes, Na i e Ame icans, and o he s o ell hei own s o ies. The my hical wes e n whose image has mainly been whi e, masculine, and he e ono ma i e is e ol ing, showing spec a o s a mo e inclusi e and equal space ha welcomes he O he . This ans o ma ion can be slow and unapp ecia ed by some, bu i has gained isibili y and as mo e di e se and complex he oes appea ac oss di e en mediums, in he case o emale he oes he mo e spo ligh hey a e gi en, he mo e hey can help igh o a socie y which 98 o en s ill looks a women as in e io . The wes e n gen e e lec s on Ame ican socie y and has an impac on popula cul u e, and nowadays he message i con eys is b oade , welcoming people who did no eel like hey could belong, as he house sign o he Ea p homes ead in he las episode o Season Fou “Old Souls” announced: “E e yone Welcome.” Pe sis ence is he key wo d igh now in he c ea ion o comics, ilms, ele ision se ies led by women, since i has been pe sis ence ha has kep women in he igh o emale equali y and ep esen a ion. 105 Tompkins, Jane. Wes o E e y hing: The Inne Li e o Wes e ns. Ox o d UP, New Yo k, 1992. Vin , She yl. “Adap a ion and Se iali y: Comic Book o Tele ision Se ies Adap a ions”. Comics and Pop Cul u e. Adap a ion om Panel o F ame, edi ed by Ba y Kei h G an and Sco Hende son, U o Texas P, 2019, pp. 165-179. Wilde mu h, Ma k. Feminism and he Wes e n in Film and Tele ision. Palg a e Macmillan, 2018. Wilkins, Kim. “These Violen Deligh s: Na iga ing Wes wo ld as “Quali y” Tele ision”. Reading Wes wo ld, edi ed by Alex Goody and An onia Mackay, Palg a e Macmillan, 2019, pp. 23-41. W igh , Will. The Wild Wes : The My hical Cowboy & Social Theo y. Sage Publica ions L d., London, 2001.