What Harley Quinn can teach us about abuse victims
This Friday, Suicide Squad hits theaters everywhere—and in the lead-up to the film, no character has gotten quite so much attention as Harley Quinn, the pigtailed, hot pants-clad supervillain played by Margot Robbie. As depicted by Robbie, Quinn is wild, sexy, clever, and fun; the kind of character young women will eagerly emulate (something Hot Topic definitely seems to be counting on). And yet not everyone’s on board with this portrayal: As numerous commentators have noted, the linchpin of Quinn’s narrative is an abusive relationship. To many, portraying the character as “cool” means endorsing intimate partner abuse.
If you haven’t spent the past few decades steeped in DC Comics mythos, here’s a brief introduction to Quinn: Originally known as therapist Harleen Frances Quinzel, the character’s life is turned upside down when she takes on The Joker as a patient. From there, thanks to a combination of love, fascination, and Stockholm Syndrome, Quinzel abandons her straight life and adopts the Harley Quinn identity. Over the decades Quinn has seen a number of iterations (from Harlequin-style clown to punk-rock roller-derby girl), but her relationship with The Joker has consistently remained a tragic tale of manipulation and abuse—one that’s made her compelling, fascinating, and utterly repellant, depending on your point of view.
I’m not interested in defending Suicide Squad, or making a case for its depiction of Quinn—by all accounts the film is a mess, and its take on the complicated relationship between Quinn and The Joker fails to provide the nuance or depth that a story like this one deserves. But I’m bothered by the knee jerk assumption that depicting Quinn as sexy, or confident, or in any way aspirational is tantamount to condoning, or even celebrating, the abusive romance that’s a central part of her story. Because in real life, many of the women who find themselves in abusive relationships are confident and compelling and even people you might consider to be role models. They just happen to be role models who’ve managed to end up in horribly unhealthy romantic relationships.