Throughout the existence of the Communist regime in Russia that reigned from 1918 to 1989, many cinematic productions were made to highlight certain key areas of not only the Russian Revolution, such as Sergei Eisentien's "October", but also to identify many key characteristics of the individual that is placed amidst such a transition. Aleksandr Askoldov's 1967 production of "The Commissar" is arguably the most famous film portraying the various circumstances and conditions of individuals amidst the revolution. He focuses on a female commissar named Vavilova who, along with her Red army military unit, believe firmly in the communist revolution and are engaged in a civil war with tsar loyalists and various western troops known as the White army. Whilst Vavilova represents a strong, dominant and brutish depiction of women that is made clearly apparent very early on in the film, Askoldov also presents another portrayal of women through the character of Mariya, a traditional Jewish wife and mother of six. Askoldov enhances the depiction of women through the character of Vavilova herself who, as the film progresses, seems to transform from her hard exterior shown in the beginning of the film, into a more traditional woman such as Mariya. However, whilst it is conceivable to believe that Vavilova has transformed herself due to becoming a mother and living with a simple but loving family and away from the harshness and brutality of war, Yefim, Mariya's husband, suggests that Vavilova's feminine qualities have always existed, but have always been deeply buried, "#Does putting on breeches make you a man?." This suggests that Vavilova was forced to place a hard exterior around her in order to survive s...
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...ova as a traditional woman wanting to care for her son. However the distinct difference between Vavilova and Mariya is that whilst Mariya is an excellent mother and supporting wife who is content and used to waiting on better days, Vavilova seeks out the best for her and her son by sacrificing her happiness and perhaps her life for the greater good. It is this sacrifice of her life that finally depicts Vavilova for her true self. She is in essence the total woman who is a loving mother and devout solider.
Bibliography
· Elena Stishova, The Mythologization of Soviet Woman, The Commissar and other cases
· Maria Deppermann, The Genealogy of the Woman Commissar in Soviet Culture, University of Innsbruck
· Aleksandr Askoldov, The Commissar, 1967
· http://www.berdichev.org/comissar.html
The October revolution of 1917 in Russia was a turning point that defined Russia as a nation. It was one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Russia that had completely changed the lives of the people at that time. The Russlander by Sandra Birdsell describes the live of a girl who was raised on a wealthy Mennonite estate. It seemed like her parents were ignoring all the troubles in the outside world, living a happy life together. But nothing lasts forever, and their happiness ended with the start of the revolution. At that time Katya was only 16 years old. Just like many people at that time she lost her family and friends, who were killed by the Bolsheviks. The conflict with the new leaders of the country started when her father refused to pay taxes and support his country, and ended with this horrible tragedy.
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Mukhina, Irina. “Experiencing Russia's Civil War: Politics, Society, And Revolutionary Culture In Saratov, 1917 – 1922.” Journal Of Social History 3 (2005): 780. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
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Before World War I, women assisted the military during wartime mainly as nurses and helpers. Some women, however, did become involved in battles. Molly Pitcher, a Revolutionary War water carrier, singlehandedly kept a cannon in action after a artillery crew had been disabled. During the
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In February of 1917 a group of female factory workers and led a revolt in which the Tsar was dethroned, only to be replaced by a provisionary government composed of the Russian elite. When this government did not live up to its promises of an end to Russian involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks (“majority”), a revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisionary government in what bacame known as the October revolution.
I think that women were so eager to see men go to war because, firstly
In many cultures throughout the world women are patronized and viewed as the weaker sex. Women are commonly perceived as being unfit for any forms of higher education and because of societal pressure and expectations retreat to a life of raising children and cooking meals for their husbands. Our society’s stereotypical views about women’s suffrage, educational expectations and athletic abilities have all advanced over the years. In many aspects of our society, women are now expected to compete with their male counterparts. Currently, it is not uncommon to hear of a women CEO or Vice President in businesses or even a women politician. Women have now emerged from laundry rooms and kitchens across the country and changed the demographics of the American workforce. However women are yet to take the medical workplace by storm and redefine the preconceived notions society upholds about leaders in medical professions. To illustrate this idea I conducted an ethnographic study of a local dental office that I am employed at. I believe that the medical field has hardly been affected by the advances in women’s rights and is a common ground for the influences of gender stereotypes that have been outdated for many years in American culture.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was born a year before the emancipation of serfism in Russia took place. Although he was the grandson of a serf, Chekhov was able to attend the medical school at the University of Moscow and become a physician. Chekhov started writing in order to support his family economically, becoming a master in drama and short stories. His literature is characterized by the use of colloquial language which could be understood even by the less educated and recently liberated serfs. Social change is the main theme in ‘The Cherry Orchard’, a four-act play written in 1904. In this play the different characters portray how changes in Russia after the emancipation of 1861 were taking place and although the play is set several years after this, it is clearly seen how the play develops around this event. For peasants, the liberation of 1861 brought different consequences. Not all of them took advantage of their freedom, and for some, their lives were the same after being liberated. In this play, these differences can clearly be seen. A main character of this play is Yermolai Lopahkin. Being son and grandson of serfs, represents the young class of peasants who got advantage of the emancipation and achieved economic success. Also, we have minor characters that represent other side of liberated serfs, who did not have Lopakhin’s opportunities to success after emancipation.
Fitzpatrick, Sheila, and Yuri Slezkine. "N.I. Slavnikova Et Al. "Speeches by Stakhanovites"" In the Shadow of Revolution: Life Stories of Russian Women from 1917 to the Second World War. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2000. 331-41. Print.
Ivan's wife is also self-centered and exhibits great disdain for her husband, who she considers more of a nuisance and hassle than anything else. Ivan's last days are spent in terrible physical agony, as he uncontrollably screams and moans in pain. When Ivan's friends come to pay their respects to his widow, we see in her comments to them that she never reall...
If one takes a closer look at the issues surrounding the differences between the male and female roles in the workforce and in education, one will notice that women tend to be one step below men on the "status" or "importance" ladder.
Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in the public and private sector. Many countries have responded to this issue by implementing gender quotas for political seats and corporate boardroom positions. This paper reviews the stereotype beliefs that women leaders are faced with which serve as barriers for the attainment of high-power leadership positions. There is incomplete information on the identification of qualified women leaders and thus most likely the persistence of the stereotypes against women leaders. Greater exposure to qualified women leaders would reduce the gender bias and provide them with greater access to high-power leadership positions. Studies in France, the United Kingdom, and Argentina demonstrate that quotas increase female leadership and influence policy outcomes. Pros and cons to the implementation of mandatory gender quotas for publically listed companies in the United States are identified. Due to the relatively new initiatives of gender equality through quotas, longer-term effects are still to be determined.