Introduction
The 2016 film Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, is based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s semi-autobiographical play titled In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue (Jenkins, 2016). The film presents three main stages in the life of the main character, which are his childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood life. Through these stages, the film explores essential and challenging situations and circumstances that he faces and that define him as a person, especially regarding his identity, sexuality, and emotional and physical conditions while growing up. In this regard, the film provides an avenue for analysis of theories that define an individual’s character and identity, such as a cultural perspective and feminist theory. By understanding these theories, the characters’ interests can then be more adequately assessed by aligning different intimate parts of their emotions, personalities, attitudes, and perspectives to the appropriate theory. Based on the three stages of the life of the main character and those that support his character in the film, it is possible to gather information that can supply a better understanding of their identities under the cultural and feminist theories perspectives.
Cultural Perspective to Explain the Character Chiron
The cultural perspective is an approach that assumes that every individual becomes an agent who is able to think, feel, and act in a manner that adapts and functions within a given sociocultural context (Peterson & Anand, 2004). This perspective also holds that to do this; the individual must incorporate culturally meaningful systems into their memory and coordinate their responses with different contingencies of outside events that are defined and are often taken for granted. To be able to explain the character of Chiron in the film, it is fundamental that every concept is viewed through his eyes since he is the one in the environment within which he lives and grows and also experiences all the influences that come with it. In this case, Chiron’s character is heavily influenced by the African-American culture of black masculinity that is firmly set in heterosexual gender and patriarchal social constructs regarding his abilities as a man and in regards to his sexuality (Glidewell, 2020). As a teenager, Chiron lives a life of escaping a local bully and finds solace in spending time with Teresa (Jenkins, 2016). Chiron, as a gay individual, is placed in a dilemma that is fostered by the cultural environment that shuns homosexuality and, in so doing, is constantly attempting to change his presentation of masculinity to align with the social expectations of black masculinity (Glidewell, 2020). The cultural perspective of Chiron’s character is also seen to be in stark contrast with the environment in which he grows up, especially with scenes that depict the story of his sexuality. For example, Chiron dreams about a story that his friend Kevin told him about receiving detention in school for having sex with a girl in a stairway (Jenkins, 2016). Chiron wakes up with a start, and the story is developed further with the beach scene. In this scene, the sexual dilemma of Chiron is further displayed when Chiron and Kevin discuss their ambitions while smoking, and they kiss and engage in sexual activity (Jenkins, 2016). The result of this is that it cements Chiron’s need to cement his culturally set black masculinity within his community and attempts to hide his sexual orientation.
An example of this is seen when Chiron refuses to identify Kevin as one of the attackers who beat him when he refused to participate in a hazing ritual (Jenkins, 2016). The extent of Chiron’s identity is profoundly displayed to be at loggerheads with his cultural views that are within himself as a black individual growing up in a predominantly black cultured neighborhood. The cultural perspective emphasizes that a situation or concept is viewed through the eyes of the individual in the environment and social influence. In this regard, the culture that molds Chiron’s individuality and character is primarily held in the struggles of the black child growing up without opportunity, and this is depicted through the struggles that he endures in school and the issue of drugs and substance abuse and sale (Carver, 2021). This environment perpetuates that black men and adults such as Chiron become strong by displaying masculinity in all aspects, including how he speaks, walks, talks, dresses, and his perception of school and friendship, thus creating an individual that is torn and character that is is constantly in a dilemma.
Cultural Perspective to Explain the Character Juan
Through the lens of the cultural perspective, Juan is a character that is developed to emerge as the ideal and sometimes unlikely depiction of an African-American father figure struggling in a world of illicit activities. In the film, Juan’s character, played by Mahershala Ali, is the father figure of Chiron (Carver, 2021). He is also a drug dealer emerging from Cuba, and he takes Chiron into his tutelage in an unlikely attempt to provide him with some stability through guidance. One aspect of Juan’s character that builds him as the ideal individual in the environment and society that he lives in is that he understands how to engage in illegal activities without getting caught by the police, who are almost everyone’s enemies. He also remains sober enough to maintain some form of stability for himself and that of Chiron. Culturally, young men in the black community are often without stable father figures who can be present over the length of their childhood and into their adult lives (Glidewell, 2020). Therefore, when Juan takes in Chiron under his umbrella, he fills the unexpected role of a father figure for the main protagonist, and he teaches him how to overcome life’s hurdles and even how to swim (Jenkins, 2016). He even argues with Paula, who is Chiron’s mother, for taking drugs with one of his customers and also neglecting her son (Jenkins, 2016). This argument embodies the cultural perspective of the black man that is always elusive in regard to nurturing good behaviors in children and general family life. It also presents Juan with a dilemma of teaching Chiron good virtues since he is a drug dealer who is keen on doing good, at least in regards to helping Chiron. Therefore, the cultural implications of Juan’s environment and social surroundings make his character an intensely split one with the dilemma of abandoning illicit drug trafficking and continuing with the trade and hoping that he succeeds in imparting suitable life lessons to Chiron and, in doing so, redeeming himself from his past life and actions (Glidewell, 2020). Juan is also a modern man who, even though he fits the culturally acceptable sexual orientation in the African American setting of being heterosexual, is still sensitive to homosexual orientations and makes a point to explain to Chiron what the word fagot means. He elaborates that it is a word that people use to make people who are gay feel bad about themselves (Jenkins, 2016). He is also brutally honest about the fact that his mother was involved in drug use and sale, a factor that makes Chiron sad since his mother is also the same. These elements of honesty, sensitivity, and empathy are critical to the development of Juan’s character through the cultural perspective and continue to serve in the holding and supporting of the central character role and the story in general throughout the film.
Feminist Theory to Explain the Character Juan
Feminist theory is an approach to critical theory whose primary purpose is to disrupt that patriarchal systems of power and oppression. Feminist theory, as a branch of sociology, shifts its assumptions, analysis capacity, and topical emphasis away from the predominant male viewpoint and directs it towards one that women hold. By making this shift, feminist theory illuminates issues embedded in the social structure, trends, and other aspects that would usually be overlooked or even misidentified by the historically patriarchal perspective in most of society. In the film, the character of Juan immediately goes against the patriarchal perspective that the feminist theory strives to disrupt by taking on a highly involved role in the life of a young boy who is also the main protagonist in the film. He does this despite his immensely prominent position of power in the societal context as a drug dealer who is often depicted as exploiting weaker members of society. The feminist aspect of Juan’s character is placed in the role he takes as Chiron’s father figure even though Chiron already has his birth mother who should take care of him. Feminist theory imposes that gender equality needs to be conclusively addressed to acquire a society that sees and allows women to be equally represented with men across all fields and aspects. Traditionally, women are allowed through the social construct to only serve in the role of nurturing mothers and wives while the men serve as providers and protectors (Kantola & Lombardo, 2017). The feminist perspective maintains that women can also perform provision and protection roles in the same capacity that men can and insist on doing so. It also shuns that the men can only serve in their traditional roles as opposed to also being nurturing to their offspring. In this respect, Juan breaks a traditional social construct expectation by exceeding the degree of care he accords to a child that is not even his own by guiding him through some of the most challenging phases of development, such as teenage years and early childhood. He also does not seem bothered that he portrays the traditional power position as a man who is also a drug dealer who is intent on steering the life of a child towards the right direction compared to Paula, the mother who is addicted to the drugs he sells.
Feminism is also exemplified in the character of Juan, where he advocates and does not display homophobia when explaining to Chiron what the word faggot means (Jenkins, 2016). This is a display of disruption of the stigma that is present among men and especially African American men in predominantly black neighborhoods (Ramdhany & Mustofa, 2021). The feminist theory model is designed in the systems and structures of power and oppression that work against social constructs of sex, gender, race, ability, and differences that hinder women. The model then strives to create support systems toward understanding, advocacy, and change. Juan exemplifies this model through his interaction with Paula, who, though a woman, does not live in accordance with the empowering tenets of the theory. He also breaks the oppressive system of occupational, gender, and sexual roles and orientation when he discusses what he does and how he is willing to discuss issues of homosexuality openly with Chiron (Jenkins, 2016). These aspects of Juan’s character accentuate the feminist theory throughout his role in the film.
Feminist Theory to Explain the Character Teresa
Women are conspicuously and inevitably pushed into the less than dominant roles as depicted in the film, with only Teresa and Paula maintaining some level of consistent roles as Chiron’s mother figure and his birth mother consecutively. Being the girlfriend to Juan, she immediately also embraces the role of mother figure to Chiron when Juan takes him in (Jenkins, 2016). A crucial feminist theory manifestation is through Teresa’s dedication to protecting Chiron from his biological mother, who is the opposite of Teresa. Paula’s harshness, which is drug-induced, gives Teresa a strong sense of feminist purpose to have a positive impact on the life of a young boy (Boylorn, 2016). Aspects of feminism such as affection, love, and care for a child are crucial in the maintenance of a balance within the role of what a woman should be able to achieve and what she can be able to achieve beyond the realms of societal gender role constructs such as just raising children and domestic chores. It is also highly commendable that Teresa is not a drug addict like Chiron’s mother despite the fact that she is the girlfriend of Juan, a drug dealer (Boylorn, 2016). This also means that she is able to create a balance between her emotional and mental well-being when faced with issues that regard her boyfriend’s role in taking advantage of weak members of the community who rely on his drugs every day due to addiction. Feminist theory also does not support the lack of ambition and the imposition of male dominance, such as not going to work and remaining as a housewife and in-house girlfriend like Paula (Boylorn, 2016). Teresa’s character is the opposite of this, and she retains a vital air of control of her own life in what she desires out of life and, in doing so, exemplifies the theory. In addition to the role that Teresa’s character plays in uplifting the power of women in a scenario where men dominate, she also dominates in the removal of weak associations with women when it comes to emotional and physical control. Chiron’s mother accentuates the traditional weakness that is traditionally used to oppress women and their image in society (Boylorn, 2016). However, Teresa emerges above all of it and, by being in stark opposition to Paula, is able to neutralize the negative depiction of women and being a woman as a strong individual who can handle all forms of hardships and challenges.
Strengths and Limitations of Both Cultural Perspective and the Feminist Theory
Cultural perspective emphasizes the broader cultural, social, and historical context of human actions (Peterson & Anand, 2004). This is an advantage because it fails to view people as isolated individuals, but rather, it provides a much more fulfilling perspective that focuses on the flexible connection between individuals. Cultural perspective is also essential in the development of self-awareness and identity. Raising the issues that people experience within a culture and society, the individual realizes their place in the cultural practices and beliefs and sets to adapt or integrate into a more fulfilling one. This adaptation also creates the benefit of learning. Cultural perspective gives individuals and society the to learn in a bid to develop a better understanding of the self and the interrelationships that exist between individuals (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Limitations of cultural perspective are that it can be overwhelming to the individual, leading to a sense of inadequacy and loss of direction and belonging. Cultural perspective can also fail to be clear in the expected realities of the individual by the rest of the society. The lack of extensive clarity on cultural, environmental, and social expectations can lead to the individual being caught within narrow zones which can be either undesirable or desirable.
Being a theory that is based on the sociological theory of conflict, feminist theory carries with it a significant disadvantage, which is maintaining the women’s viewpoint alone. Maintaining this radical angle of viewpoint creates a barrier for individuals who do not identify as women but are willing to support the feminist cause from doing so. Another disadvantage is that feminist theory does not provide openness for the entry of new viewpoints that are merited against individual women. This approach become a highly rigid sociological approach to a society that is rapidly changing.
One advantage of feminist theory is that it helps to address and comprehend the oppressive and unequal gender constructs present in society today. Without feminist theory, some of the progressive changes that have taken place in the past could not have happened, creating a world where women and girls can be equal to their male counterparts (Kantola & Lombardo, 2017). Another strength of feminist theory is that it establishes the value of portraying women in a positive light in modern literature, such as art, poems, theatre, film, and music. Feminist theory also propagates the adoption of positive cultural and societal norms and values (Kantola & Lombardo, 2017). This can be seen in the progress that has been achieved in societies that traditionally did not promote girl child education and others who have now seceded from practicing female genital mutilation as a form of initiation practices from childhood into womanhood.
Conclusion
The 2016 film Moonlight is a cinematic presentation of the story of a single individual through three major stages: his early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The film serves in the portrayal of critical social issues that individuals face over their developmental stages, including emotional development, cognitive development, identity crisis, relationships, and conflict. Through the assessment of sociological perspectives such as cultural perspective and feminist theory, many of the characters in the film can reveal the intricacies of these theories and how they manifest in the lives of seemingly regular individuals. A key note in this film is the main protagonist, Chiron, who experiences the love and nurturing care of strangers, Juan and Teresa, as opposed to his living mother, Paula, while also struggling with aspects of his identity, such as sexuality living in an African American community that idealizes black masculinity as being heterosexual and unfeminine.
References
Boylorn, R. (2016). Moonlight Musings & Motherhood: On Paula, Teresa and the Complicated Role of (Bad) Black Mamas in Film. Crunk Feminist Collective.
Carver, J. (2021). Drowning Their Sorrows in the Ocean: A Review of Black [Mask] Unity, Drugs, and Water in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. Global Africana Review, 5(1), 61–65.
Glidewell M. (2020). “Moonlight” — A Character Study on Toxic Masculinity and Queer Identity. www.medium.com. https://medium.com/incluvie/moonlight-a-character-study-on-toxic-masculinity-and-queer-identity-bedfeca28d6#:~:text=Moonlight%20is%20about%20growing%20up,to%20dehumanize%20and%20emasculate%20him
Jenkins B. (Director). (2016). Moonlight [Drama]. A24, Plan B Entertainment, PASTEL.
Kantola, J., & Lombardo, E. (2017). Feminist political analysis: Exploring strengths, hegemonies, and limitations. Feminist Theory, 18(3), 323-341.
Peterson, R. A., & Anand, N. (2004). The production of culture perspective. Annu. Rev. Sociol., 30, 311-334.
Ramdhany, N. P., & Mustofa, A. (2021). Sex Stereotyping towards Black Gay Man in Moonlight Movie: A Queer Study. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 9(2), 53-72.
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