Struggle against Prejudice in Phil Johnston’s Screenplay Wreck-It Ralph

Pardi Pardi, Naufal Karim


Abstract


This research explores how a character confronted with prejudice strives to reach his objectives. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study focuses on the main character of Wreck-It Ralph, a screenplay written by Phil Johnston. The analysis shows that the character's struggle can be classified into two types, namely voluntary and unavoidable. The voluntary struggle begins when Ralph abandons his own game in order to earn a medal, while the unavoidable struggle originates from his outward appearance, which leads others to judge him unfairly. To examine the prejudice he encounters, this research applies Allport's (1954) five-level scale of prejudice: antilocution, avoidance, discrimination, physical attack, and extermination. Only avoidance and discrimination appear in the screenplay, and these are chiefly carried out by the surrounding characters toward Ralph. In sum, the research highlights the forms of struggle and the levels of prejudice, along with the harmful consequences prejudice brings to the social setting portrayed in the screenplay.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/jol.v8i2.14459

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