Language and Visual Strategies in Unveiling Fear Emotions: A Case Study of The Main Characters in ”Frozen I”

Abstract

This study investigates the use of language and visual strategies in unveiling fear emotions portrayed by the main characters, Elsa and Anna, in the animated movie Frozen I. Fear, as a universal and fundamental human emotion, is often employed in narratives to create dramatic tension and to deepen character development. In this research, a qualitative approach grounded in Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) was applied to examine both linguistic and visual resources that construct the meaning of fear in selected scenes. Dialogues were analyzed based on Kress and van Leeuwen's visual grammar framework. The findings demonstrate that fear is revealed through a combination of language and visual markers. Language, fear is expressed by hesitant lexical choices, modal verbs that indicate uncertainty and restraint, and repetition and intonation shifts that reinforce insecurity. Visually, fear is represented through close-up shots emphasizing facial expressions—such as widened eyes and trembling lips—body gestures of withdrawal and avoidance, and cinematic techniques including dim lighting and cold color palettes. Together, these strategies highlight how meaning emerges from the interaction of verbal and non-verbal modes, making internal psychological states observable and relatable for audiences. The novelty of this research lies in its integrative approach, which bridges linguistic and visual analysis to explore how fear as an emotion is multimodally constructed in animated film. This study contributes not only to the field of multimodal discourse analysis but also to broader discussions on how emotions are culturally mediated in popular media. It suggests that animated films such as Frozen play a significant role in shaping audience perceptions of psychological struggles, identity, and resilience through multimodal means.