Gender Roles In The Film

The scene begins with Trixie in the bath with the door open, singing, presenting a feminine idea to the audience which is further exemplified as the camera drags to the next room where we can see Carol sitting in front of a mirror doing her hair. Critic Judith Butler describes the idea of gender as an act “In what senses, then, is gender an act? As in other ritual social dramas, the action of gender requires a performance that is repeated. This repetition is at once a re-enactment and re-experiencing of a set of meanings already socially established; and it is the mundane and ritualized form of their legitimation”. ” . Gold Diggers of 1933 certainly illustrates Butler’s thesis. The assemblage behaviour, fashion, confidence can build-up gender. Bodies that are recognized as male by society can use such an

Women were continuing to display their sexuality throughout the film, and the opening musical number is evidence of this. Women were done being treated like objects, and were becoming more confident and bold members of society. This scene was very significant because it really showed how women were not there just to please men. A cast member that exemplified a gender role was Brad 's older brother, Lawrence. Lawrence is shocked to see Brad planning to marry some flapper girl, when a good chunk of their financial well-being could be lost due to this. He sees these women who are expressing their sexuality and breaking apart from the traditional punching bag of a woman to be gold diggers, and nothing more. In a way, Lawrence depicts the typical close-minded American male. Trixie also broke stereotypes for the typical woman in this film. Trixie is an outspoken, funny, and loud mouthed female and this was not very common among women during this time, but she symbolized everything a woman should want to be during this time. This symbolized a woman outsmarting and out cunning a