Marion Ravenwood, presexual tomboy

"Our initial image of Marion is as a woman who is physically tough and mentally determined. Furthermore, she is a 'presexual tomboy', the ideal companion for Indy, whose masculine quests would only be undermined by any love interests in the peripheral plot... Showing no remorse for placing Marion into these precarious situations, Indy criticises her for wearing a dress given to her by Belloq. His criticism is, in fact, a criticism of her blossoming femininity. 'Whereas Indy treats Marion like an irritating kid sister,' Biskind states, 'Belloq treats her like a woman.'"

- Biber, Katherine. The Emperor's New Clones: Indiana Jones and Masculinity in Reagan's America. Australasian Journal of American Studies 14(2) December 1995, pp 67-86.

(I periodically find my photocopy of this article in the piles of paper about the place, and get something new from it every time I re-read it.)