Dialogic Construction Of Marginalization, Mental Illness, And Class Conflict In Joker (2019): A Textual Analysis Of Film Dialogue

Abstract

This study examines how cinematic dialogue in Joker (2019) constructs social meaning around marginalization, mental illness, and class conflict. Using qualitative textual analysis of the film’s complete dialogue transcript, the study applies Bakhtin’s concept of dialogism and Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power. The analysis addresses four research questions focusing on violent subjectivity, ideological class divisions, mental illness representation, and identity transformation. Findings show that Arthur Fleck’s transformation into Joker is discursively produced through shifts in language, from hesitant and deferential speech to assertive and authoritative expression. Dialogue reveals how institutional neglect and social exclusion shape violent subjectivity, while class conflict emerges through contrasting speech patterns between elite and marginalized characters. Mental illness is framed as both an individual condition and a structural outcome of systemic failure. The study demonstrates that dialogue operates as a key site of ideological struggle, where recognition, power, and identity are negotiated. It contributes to film studies and media discourse research by highlighting the central role of language in constructing cinematic social critique.