RG 13

English W170
Representations of Vikings

RG 13: Heinecken, The Warrior Women of Television

1) Summarize Heineckens main claim about Warrior Women: what do their bodies
have to do with their representation as warriors? How is this dynamic different from
male hero bodies? Please use textual evidence to support your analysis.
Heineckens main claim about warrior women is that their bodies and their sensual,
intimate representation make up a new cultural model of a hero that relates to issues
and tendencies in todays community. This differs from the dynamic of male hero
bodies because it is portrayed as a more postmodern version of the human. For
example, Heinecken uses the example of how female warriors have the postmodern
trend of having more internal, or emotional, injuries and conflicts unlike men who
commonly deal with physical wounds.
2) Apply a key insight from Heineckens argument to Angela from Thor and Loki. In
what ways is she marked as feminine? How is she marked as a warrior? How does
her representation compare to that of, say, Freyja in the novel?
Angelas representation is very sensual like a typical woman, yet conniving and brutal
like a typical warrior, similar to how Heinecken describes the postmodern female
hero. Her representation differs from Freyja both physically and mentally. Freyja is
covered head to toe in armor and is one of the most morally sound characters in the
book whereas Angela is very lightly clothed and is seen as the main antagonist in the
story.
3) And now the question on all of our minds: what about Loki? Use textual evidence to
show how Heinecken might analyze Lokis representation, both before and after the
gender swap.
Heinecken would analyze Loki as a male more typically to a male hero who is mainly
affected by flesh wounds rather than mental ones. However, after the gender
change Heinecken would likely classify Loki as a hero who at first seems to follow his
acknowledged pattern of women that look out for themselves, rather than others, but
it becomes apparent later in the story that Loki is attempting to save his brother and
family, showing more male characteristics.
4) What relationship does Heinecken posit between the Warrior Woman and
postmodernity? How might Thor and Loki impact or complicate this dynamic?
Heinecken states that most Warrior Women display a general sense of
postmodernity. Thor and Loki may complicate this dynamic because the majority of
female figures in this piece are displayed as antagonists who display many opposite

trends than that of what is commonly associated with women warriors, such as
intimacy, sympathy, and insecurity.