Deconstruction Of Gender Stereotypes:Taking The Lines And Plots In Elementary As A Case Analysis

Elementary is an American crime series based on the plot of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Detective Sherlock Holmes”.In the series,Sherlock Holmes was deeply troubled by drug addiction and Joan Watson was engaged in sober companion.The two met in New York in the 21 st century.The elaborate adaptation of the series makes Doyle’s characters and storyline more attractive.The series premiered on CBS on September 27,2012 and ended on August 15,2019.Among the seven seasons,it has produced 154 episodes and maintained a breakthrough rating.What is worth mentioning that the series have been nominated and awarded many times.By analyzing the lines and plots in Elementary,from the perspective of Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction theory and Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity,this thesis attempts to prove that the presentation of male and female characters in Elementary is the deconstruction of gender stereotypes.The thesis is divided into three chapters in addition to the introduction and conclusion.The first chapter focuses on the analysis of the deconstruction of female stereotypes in Elementary,which is mainly demonstrated through the personality and career pursuit of female in the series.The second chapter focuses on the analysis of the deconstruction of male stereotypes in Elementary.The author demonstrates it from the fragility of male personality and their hard maintenance of family kinship.The third chapter discusses the gender conflicts between male and female in the Elementary,that is,the confrontation of women when faced with male strength oppression.The author proves that the series has deconstructed that men are dominant in stereotyped gender relations.