Gender In Esperanza's The Salt Of The Earth

The 1950s were filled with strict traditional gender roles for men and women. During World War II many money entered the work force, but after the War, propaganda campaigns were used to get women to go back to their house duty. Popular culture during this time glamorized the life of a housewife. This resulted in women marry at a younger age and fewer women going to college. An existentialist, Simone de Beauvior, introduced the concept that “sex” and “gender” are not equivalent. She described this difference in her book, The Second Sex, when she said, “One is not born, but rather becomes a women.” This coincides with the modern definition, that gender characteristics are not innate, but learned. Beauvior felt as though in society, man is the

“norm” and women are “other.” These gender roles are displayed in the productions of The Salt of the Earth and I love Lucy (season 1, episode 2 “The Quiz Show”). Both films have a leading female role. The leading female character in The Salt of the Earth is a Mexican-American woman named Esperanza and the leading female character in I Love Lucy is a middle class woman named Lucy. While both Esperanza and Lucy are subjected to gender roles, their societal situations are incommensurable.
The main character of The Salt of the Earth, Esperanza is introduced as a pregnant woman, who does not want to bring another baby into this world under her current circumstances.

Esperanza communicates to her husband Ramon the difficulties that she has to overcome, unlike the Anglo families. Esperanza’s husband, Ramon works for a mining company that has dangerous working conditions. An accident occurs at the mines causing Ramon and his fellow Mexican-American workers to strike. Later at a union meeting, one of the women suggests that they include sanitation and plumbing in their demands, but the men ignore her request. The men strike by picketing outside the mine, but the sheriff delivers a Taft-Harley injunction ordering the strikers to stop picketing. A woman suggests that the women stand in for the men at the picket lines and Esperanza convinces the union to allow both the men and woman to vote on the idea, and the motion passes. Esperanza is arrested while picketing, so Ramon has to take on the household chores and realizes the hardships of the women’s role. This understanding gives him a greater appreciation for Esperanza. After Esperanza is released from jail, Ramon tells her that he does not think the women can win the strike. This upsets Esperanza and she reprimands Ramon for treating her as his bosses treat him. Ultimately, the mining company comes to a settlement and Ramon acknowledges Esperanza’s integrity and

determination.
The setting of I Love Lucy is a well-maintained middle class home. The main character is woman named Lucy, who portrays an absent-minded, giddy woman. While looking over her books, Lucy realizes that she is behind on the bills. When her husband Ricky comes home, he complains that he makes all the money and she just spends it. Lucy learns of a radio contest with a grand prize of $1,000 and decides to participate. The radio show is called “Females are Fabulous” and is based on the theory that any women is willing to make an idiot out of herself to win a prize. To win the money, she has to introduce a man to Ricky and convince Ricky, until midnight, that the stranger is her first husband who she thought had disappeared. While waiting for the actor to arrive at their house, a bum knocks on the door, and Lucy mistakes him for the man she is supposed to pretend is her first husband. As the scheme is being played out, the real actor arrives. Lucy ends up telling Ricky the truth, but not until after midnight, so she still wins the money. However, Ricky takes the money to pay for the bills.