Hasna Ajriya Azmi, Ana Widiyanti

Feminist and Women Empowerment in Nyad (2023): A Feminist Analysis of Diana Nyad’s Struggle

Introduction

Feminist and women empowerment in nyad (2023): a feminist analysis of diana nyad’s struggle. Explore feminist values and women's empowerment in the film Nyad (2023), analyzing Diana Nyad's inspiring struggle against age and societal doubts. Discover themes of equality, resistance, and self-determination.

Abstract

This study discusses feminist values and the representation of women’s empowerment in the film Nyad (2023). The film is based on the true story of Diana Nyad, a woman who attempts to fulfill her lifelong dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida at the age of 60. This research aims to find out how feminist values are represented in the film and how women’s empowerment is shown through the main character. The theory used in this research is Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist theory, especially the idea that women are often seen as “the Other.” This study applies a descriptive qualitative method, with the main data taken from dialogues in the film. The data were collected by watching, identifying, classifying, and analyzing scenes related to feminist values and acts of empowerment. The results show six feminist values in the film, namely equality, resistance, agency, solidarity, empowerment, and self-determination. The film also shows how Diana fights against age limitations, public doubt, and social pressure. The film delivers a message that women deserve to be heard, respected, and given equal opportunities in life.

Review

This study presents a timely and pertinent analysis of the film *Nyad* (2023) through a feminist lens, focusing on women's empowerment and feminist values. The research clearly articulates its aim to identify how these themes are represented, employing Simone de Beauvoir's influential theory, particularly the concept of women as "the Other." The descriptive qualitative method, with its reliance on film dialogues for data collection and analysis, appears well-suited to the study's objectives. The abstract effectively highlights key findings, delineating six specific feminist values—equality, resistance, agency, solidarity, empowerment, and self-determination—and showcasing Diana Nyad's struggle against societal limitations, providing a strong foundation for the proposed analysis. While the outlined approach is sound, there are a few areas where further depth or clarification would strengthen the contribution. The categorization of "empowerment" and "self-determination" as distinct *values* alongside concepts like "agency" could benefit from a more precise theoretical distinction; often, empowerment is seen as an *outcome* or process facilitated by agency and self-determination. It would be beneficial for the full paper to elaborate on *how* Beauvoir's "the Other" concept specifically frames Nyad's challenges, beyond a general statement that she fights against public doubt and social pressure. A deeper engagement with how her age and ambition specifically position her outside conventional societal expectations for women, thereby reinforcing or challenging her status as "the Other," would enhance the theoretical application. Moreover, while dialogues are the main data, the abstract could hint at the qualitative rigor applied to demonstrate *how* these dialogues reveal the values, rather than just identifying their presence. Despite these suggestions, the study offers valuable insights into the portrayal of older women's agency and resilience in contemporary cinema, making a relevant contribution to feminist film studies. The findings effectively demonstrate how *Nyad* communicates a powerful message about women's rights to respect, voice, and equal opportunity. With a more nuanced theoretical application and perhaps a clearer delineation of its conceptual framework, this research has the potential to significantly advance discussions around gender, aging, and athletic ambition within a feminist context. It is a promising piece that warrants publication, pending a thorough review of the full manuscript for the aforementioned clarifications.

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