Gender Roles In Hildy And His Girl Friday

Gender roles are a common if outdated, categorization of the ‘right’ ideas of what men and women are to do and be. Often unchanged throughout the decades and appearing to just develop into more complex entities as the year’s pass. These roles encompass ideas of day-to-day life, personal interactions, and often job prospects as well. Although vilified and greatly disliked by many, to the point people go against them, these roles are often portrayed in films, both old and new. The film we have just watched, His Girl Friday, has some instances of these roles and showcases the main character, Hildy, breaking a few of these gender roles. Hildy in His Girl Friday is a ‘newspaper man’ that will do anything for a story but has decided for a change of pace and live a ‘normal’ life. Hildy’s ideal ‘normal’ life is a key example of what gendered roles, especially in the

Everything that the women are not these men are; they are prominent, powerful, often messy as with her co-workers, and most importantly in positions of power over Hildy. Specifically, Walter is the epitome of male-gendered roles because of his good looks and head position at the paper which would make him in charge of Hildy and her works. Walter’s archetype can also be seen in the first film we watched Tootsie with the television producer. He is also a well-dressed man in power that manipulates the women around them, to either do what he wants or into a relationship with him.

While Walter only has Hildy to manipulate, which he does throughout the film in efforts to convince Hildy to write for the paper and never leave it or him, Ron has an entire cast of women. Ron primarily plays with the emotions of women, Julie specifically, and uses his position of power to degrade and often subject the women to his ideals. And very rarely do they object until Dorothy comes into the