Representation of the European Woman as an Intercultural Agent in the Western Film Genre: Archetypal and Genre Analysis

The Western film genre has long functioned as a marker of American identity, and recent cinematic trends increasingly foreground female protagonists, particularly European women as intercultural agents within frontier narratives. This study investigates the intersection of mythology, archetypes, and Westerns, focusing on the ways female characters embody both classical Greek goddesses and archetypes classified by Carol S. Pearson—the first systematic treatment of these archetypes in scholarly literature on Westerns. Methodologically, the research employs narrative, visual, and semiotic analysis, alongside intertextual comparisons and archetypal theory, to examine how these female figures operate within the genre’s storytelling structures. The study also considers the Western diffusion as a genre, including the often-overlooked Australian Westerns, which provide particularly nuanced depictions of female protagonists. The findings demonstrate that female protagonists actively shape the narrative, enact archetypal functions, and mediate intercultural encounters, offering a new lens through which to understand gendered dynamics in Westerns. The main contribution of this research lies in integrating archetypal analysis, visual semiotics, and narrative study to reveal the transformative roles of women in Western cinema, highlighting how historical events, mythological motifs, and cross-cultural interactions inform their representation. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the need for continued interdisciplinary attention to women’s roles in Westerns, as these narratives expand and evolve beyond traditional genre conventions.