WOMEN’S OBJECTIFICATION IN MEDIA THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF ALTHUSSER’S INTERPELLATION IN SARIA WALKER’S DIETLAND

Abstract

Women’s objectification remains a significant issue in current literary studies because of the ongoing reinforcement of gendered beauty standards and consumer-driven ideals across global cultures. Broadly speaking, objectification refers to the treatment of women as mere bodies or parts of bodies, often for visual appeal and male desire. This phenomenon is further explored through the ideological framework outlined by Althusser in his theory of interpellation, which refers to how dominant ideologies “hail” individuals to the extent that they influence their identity and behavior. The study critically examines how media and advertising discourses, supported by capitalist interests, interpellate women into objectified roles and expectations through adapting  Althusser’s theory as a lens in Saria Walker’s Dietland (2015). It aims to identify the ideological mechanisms that objectify female characters in Dietland, emphasizing the role of media and advertising as Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) that influence women’s consciousness and their behavior regarding self-worth. It also explores how these characters internalize, confront, or resist the objectifying gaze a male-dominated media culture imposes on them. Ultimately, the study concludes that this novel demonstrates how women are interpellated into objectified roles, while also showing how they attempt to reclaim agency through resistance, rebellion, and self-definition. As such, Dietland reveals the psychological and social consequences of media-driven objectification and the complex processes through which female characters navigate, resist, and redefine their identities.