Analysis of Female Empowerment in Screwball Heroines

During this scene, Hildy runs all around the room, locking doors and closing blinds in order to protect Earl. This quick athletic movement of women is first commonly scene in screwball heroines, who are not afraid of sacrificing elegance for agility. This is significant because as Hildy runs all around, Earl stands still waiting to respond to her actions, instead of doing that “manly duty” of taking charge. In Lori Landay’s definition of a “new woman,” she describes her as someone who relies “not only on the influence of the female body,” suggesting that screwball heroines still use their beauty to manipulate the actions of men. It is quite possible that one of the reasons Earl didn’t shoot Hildy like he shot the others is her sweet voice and

This separates her from women in all previous era’s who often gained their attention solely for their attire. Her suit is instead used to draw attention to what she says, as evidence by the upward and diagonal pinstripes that point toward her face. When all of the journalists question her about Earl, their dark colored suits in contrast to her stripes, as well as her position in the center of the frame, maker her the center of attention.This way, in every conversation she’s having all eyes focused on her quick moving lips. The importance of this contrast points to what aspects of women are noticed and highlighted. In the traditional women, it was their physique, and in the “new woman” it is in their intellect. There is also a large glowing light above her head during her dialect with Earl as he points his gun at her, which, coupled with her attire and fluent speech, could be another symbol of her