Kathryn Janeway: A Feminist Analysis

I do not have many media memories of strong women or girls, due in part to not having much access or variety of TV and film. Not until much later in life. Nor can I call upon any memories of strong girls/women in other mediums that I could speak much of. I don’t recall if I ever heard of the word feminism growing up. My earliest recollection is in high school. Around the age of 15. I had an intuitive understanding of what it meant to be a feminist but couldn’t give a definition if asked.

I do have one media memory of a strong woman and that is Capt Kathryn Janeway of the TV show Star Trek: Voyager, played by Kate Mulgrew. Also known for her role as Red, from Orange is the new black. Kathryn Janeway is the the first and only female captain

She lives in a fictional timeline where the issues of race, class, gender, etc have all been eliminated on earth. If these problems were to occur with more frequency then perhaps she would be considered a feminist. She certainly has the same liberal ideals of tolerance and equality a healthy feminist of today would have. If the mindset is the determining factor, then she is a feminist. She challenged sexism and the patriarchal attitudes on the rare occasions they took place. She desired to and fought for equality for all, regardless of gender, race, species, etc. The sexism that takes place on earth now is not seen in the show. If there are incidences of it occurring it wouldn’t be considered a cultural problem as it is now. The closest to sexism on earth in their universe would be a male and female character having a quarrel based off of misunderstanding owing to the fact that they have different experience and perspectives because men and women, despite having more similarities than differences, are different enough for conflict to occur. In her timeline woman occupy positions of power as men do, without issue. Nowadays, women in leadership positions are called foul names and bossy for making the same decisions and saying the same things a man would. These attitudes don’t occur with Captain Janeway’s crew. She commands a spaceship with hundreds of people and does not have to put on the persona of a man to

The other characters relied on her for advice. Many were old enough to be her children and she sometimes played that role for them. While still maintaining professional boundaries and never letting anyone forget who’s in charge, unlike captains from the other series, she was more approachable, compassionate, and understanding. When I felt alone or needed guidance, her character often filled the role of mother or wise teacher temporarily. One of the qualities that I really admired and Capt. Janeway was her positive attitude. Some of her sayings and ways of looking at scenarios were comforting and even applicable to my situations growing up. I felt that way about captains from other series but I derived more comfort from hearing what she had to say. Her character is also hyper-conscientious. Something I struggled with as a child. It was hard to be motivated growing up and her conscientiousness and compassionate personality helped me get through a