Dual Othering of Female Supporting Characters in "Strong Female Protagonist" Narratives: A Case Study of the TV Series Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace

Abstract

This study is situated within the cultural context of the 21st-century resurgence of global feminist thought and the proliferation of "strong female protagonist" narratives in the film and television market. Although works of this genre often champion "female independence" as their banner and garner widespread attention by depicting the female protagonist's journey of overcoming adversity, their genuine embodiment of feminist core values remains subject to considerable scrutiny. This study examines the characterization of female supporting roles in the "strong female protagonist" narrative through a feminist critical lens. Employing close textual analysis of Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, it investigates how the teleplay employs dual othering strategies—demonizing antagonists and instrumentalizing positive characters—to reduce female supporting roles to mere foils that accentuate the protagonist's prominence. The analysis reveals the underlying misogynistic logic and patriarchal constraints masked by the work's ostensibly progressive facade. This narrative shifts the essence of women's predicament from the oppression of patriarchy to an internal moral conflict among women, transforming the "strong female protagonist" into a compromise with the established power order. The conclusion posits that authentic feminist creation must be dedicated to portraying diverse female representations and centering on the critique of patriarchal oppression.