The Notebook: A Rhetorical Analysis of Feminism in Romance
Presenter(s)
Danielle Kuhnly
Abstract
The purpose of this rhetorical analysis of The Notebook is to examine how romance movies promote certain ideals to the audience and present a standard or norm for how relationships should look. Popular ideas within these movies center around gender-based ideologies and how the dynamic of masculinity and femininity should interact to show true love. This promotion of ideals didn't stop with the release of The Notebook in 2004. The romance genre continues to be one of the most popular film genres. The Notebook itself is being rereleased as a musical on a Broadway tour throughout 2025, further elevating the popularity of this film specifically to a whole new audience. To understand just how persuasive this perpetuation of gender-based norms is, I will be rhetorically analyzing The Notebook with feminist critiques to answer my two research questions. RQ1: How are romantic relationships portrayed in this film? RQ2: How are gender norms influenced and/or enforced within this film? Kornfield's (2021) feminist critique is ideology-based and focuses on understanding the dominant values and beliefs promoted within a text. This critique asks a series of questions regarding how the text represents masculinity and femininity, and if it reflects the realities of women's lives. Furthermore, it asks how healthy modes of communication can be encouraged. I will also ask questions based on Brummett's (2019) research into close-reading texts. These questions from Brummett (2019) analyze what the audience is invited to assume and believe compared to what the authors of the text are promoting. This series of questions also asks for proof of these assumptions shown throughout the movie, as well as who is empowered or disempowered within these situations. Throughout this analysis, I hope to find a connection between a popular romance movie and the promotion of gender-based ideologies. By analyzing The Notebook through feminist critiques and close reading questions, I will be able to identify if this movie promotes specific gender norms, beliefs, and related values. This is especially relevant as this movie is regaining its popularity due to the previously mentioned Broadway tour. If The Notebook does promote these beliefs, increasing the awareness of gender-based ideologies being perpetuated in media could lead to future romance films promoting healthier modes of communication.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Communication Studies
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Tammy Swenson-Lepper
Start Date
4-24-2025 10:00 AM
End Date
4-24-2025 11:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1b=10am-11am
Poster Number
40
The Notebook: A Rhetorical Analysis of Feminism in Romance
The purpose of this rhetorical analysis of The Notebook is to examine how romance movies promote certain ideals to the audience and present a standard or norm for how relationships should look. Popular ideas within these movies center around gender-based ideologies and how the dynamic of masculinity and femininity should interact to show true love. This promotion of ideals didn't stop with the release of The Notebook in 2004. The romance genre continues to be one of the most popular film genres. The Notebook itself is being rereleased as a musical on a Broadway tour throughout 2025, further elevating the popularity of this film specifically to a whole new audience. To understand just how persuasive this perpetuation of gender-based norms is, I will be rhetorically analyzing The Notebook with feminist critiques to answer my two research questions. RQ1: How are romantic relationships portrayed in this film? RQ2: How are gender norms influenced and/or enforced within this film? Kornfield's (2021) feminist critique is ideology-based and focuses on understanding the dominant values and beliefs promoted within a text. This critique asks a series of questions regarding how the text represents masculinity and femininity, and if it reflects the realities of women's lives. Furthermore, it asks how healthy modes of communication can be encouraged. I will also ask questions based on Brummett's (2019) research into close-reading texts. These questions from Brummett (2019) analyze what the audience is invited to assume and believe compared to what the authors of the text are promoting. This series of questions also asks for proof of these assumptions shown throughout the movie, as well as who is empowered or disempowered within these situations. Throughout this analysis, I hope to find a connection between a popular romance movie and the promotion of gender-based ideologies. By analyzing The Notebook through feminist critiques and close reading questions, I will be able to identify if this movie promotes specific gender norms, beliefs, and related values. This is especially relevant as this movie is regaining its popularity due to the previously mentioned Broadway tour. If The Notebook does promote these beliefs, increasing the awareness of gender-based ideologies being perpetuated in media could lead to future romance films promoting healthier modes of communication.
