Exploring the Paradigm Shift of Feminist Coming-of-Age Narratives in Contemporary Context: A Case Study of the Film Herstory

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_42How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Feminist Cinema; Social Media Era; Female Coming-of-Age Narrative; Herstory

Abstract

Under the dual contexts of evolving feminist discourse and transformative communication paradigms in the era of social media, feminist cinema is undergoing a significant shift in its coming-of-age narrative frameworks. This study examines Herstory as a case study, employing filmic text analysis and narratological theory to investigate how the film subverts traditional linear structures and binary oppositional models in female growth narratives while adapting to contemporary media dissemination patterns. The research reveals that the film reconstructs feminine identity through nonlinear storytelling, quotidian representation, and “communitarian narrative” strategies, replacing conventional dramatic conflicts with fragmented plots and domestic spatial narratives. By establishing non-biological maternal lineages and egalitarian solidarity networks, it articulates the multiplicity of female experiences. Findings demonstrate that Herstory provides a “de-paradigmatized” exemplar for feminist filmmaking, shifting the narrative focus from individual resistance to collective symbiosis. Furthermore, it expands feminist narratology by incorporating media-critical and production-methodological dimensions, offering new insights for reconstructing contemporary gender discourse.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Ning Shi
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/15
TI  - Exploring the Paradigm Shift of Feminist Coming-of-Age Narratives in Contemporary Context: A Case Study of the Film Herstory
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Mental Growth and Human Resilience (MGHR 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 385
EP  - 392
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_42
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_42
ID  - Shi2025
ER  -