Bravo, Blog 2: Gender, Disability, and The Shape of Water
Gender and Disability ~ The Shape of Water (The Shape of water 1:23:59) This movie was something I did not expect especially when it came to this scene that is shown above. Elisa is known to be disabled as she is mute and cannot speak but is often dehumanized by society (societal norm) where the disabled are portrayed of not being able to find love because of their disability. Within the movie, from 1:23:59 to 1:25:58, Elisa tells Zelda about how she had slept with the creature, but Zelda was more shocked with whom she slept with than Elisa sleeping with anyone at all. Additionally, her relationship with the creature is portrayed as different in potential disabling in the context of relationships. The lack of cultural expectation for speech among fish and sea creatures reduces the barrier for Elisa, which grows that love for it. In the film we see how Elisa sexually advances and reinforces her deviation from asexual stereotypes. Moreover, the emotional connection with the creature that...