Abuse Issues throughout the Portrayal of Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn is just another example of the misogyny and sexism that women face in the comic book industry. 

She was introduced as nothing more than comedic relief at the expense of abuse. 

Some of the most notorious issues of abuse are as followed.
- Joker needs help carrying out plans and again, Harley happily obliges. However, she then meets the bottom of Joker's boot when he kicks her face for suggesting that he couldn't do it alone. 
- Joker tosses Harley out their building window due to her capturing Batman for him.
- Joker has hung Harley from a chain by her neck so that the torture might reveal secrets that the Joker thought she was hiding. 

The previous are all examples of physical abuse, yet Harley endured emotional/mental abuse as well, all for the sake of a joke. 
- She is deemed as "Property of the Joker" and "Daddy's Little Monster" as a way of showing that the Joker owns her. 

But, Harley Quinn has guided both herself and her fans through issues that plague reality. 

She is a domestic abuse survivor. She escapes and overcomes the Joker's blows, both literally and figuratively. She has become a beacon of hope for those who have gone through abuse and are currently going through a relationship similar to the Joker and Harley's. We see this through Birds of Prey (2020) Harley forms a girl group after an "emancipation" from her former lover.



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