Intro If nothing else, a detail surely etched into the minds of viewers of the James Cain-inspired 1945 melodrama Mildred Pierce is the titular protagonist’s extravagant broad-shouldered fur coat. The layer (often paired with a high hat) envelopes her, erasing any trace of her natural figure and constructing an outline featuring exaggerated shoulders and a simply overwhelming presence. It also stands as a tangible representation of the theme of perverted masculinity in the film, as I will explain further in this work. In Robert Corber’s “Joan Crawford’s Padded Shoulders” (2006), he examines the role these overemphasized, or “padded shoulders” play in the masculinization of Mildred Pierce, which manifests through what could be considered to …show more content…
and there’s nothing you can do about it” (1:46:19-29). Veda is an indisputably consistent antagonist. From her introduction to the plot through Mildred’s voiceover, she has never wavered in her superficial desires: a lavish home, the finest attire, and the status associated with becoming a debutante. Mildred is seen working tirelessly to acquire these privileges for her, an effort that seemed to only intensify after her youngest daughter Kay’s sudden passing, but proved to be in vain. Instead of appreciating what her mother was able to attain from her successful restaurant business, Veda capitalizes on every opportunity to criticize and patronize Mildred (i.e., explicitly expressing her disapproval of the dress Mildred bought that fueled another argument between herself and Bert, condemning Mildred for having to invest so much time in the business, and especially in her abusive treatment in their argument after the Forrester settlement). The desire that seems to surpass them all, however, is distance. Not just physical distance, but a more abstract distance from Mildred’s influence and, per Veda, her inferior social status: “You can’t [turn yourself into a lady with a little money], because you’ll never be anything but a common frump whose father lived in a grocery store and whose mother took in washing” (1:23:24-30). The cinematography and blocking in the heightened interaction between the two women when Mildred discovers Veda’s affair with her slippery husband Monte beautifully reflects the notion of distance while illuminating Veda’s masculinization (Figure 1). As Mildred approaches the basement of the Beragon beach house, she is surprised to discover the young Veda in Monte’s arms under a cover of darkness. Monte notices Mildred’s presence first, revealing an attentiveness possibly driven by guilt or discomfort. Even though he is completely unlit, we can see that he freezes and turns his head, immediately redirecting his
Society has made Mildred self-centered, robotic, and unfeeling. An example of her being self-centered would be when she says “And i should think you’d consider me sometimes.- We could do without a few things.” Which Montag replies with “We’re already doing without a few things.” This shows that Mildred is self-centered because she isn’t thankful for what she has and she doesn’t care that Montag could barely afford what she wants.
“No wire hangers, ever!” Joan Crawford spoke to Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest the movie. The scene where Joan says this is just one example of her having one or more psychological disorder. Psychological disorders are behavior patterns that cause a person to anguish. Also, they may cause a person to obstruct the capability to manage everyday activities (Rathus, 2010). Joan displays many psychological disorders, but the most visible are bipolar disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
She is addicted to sleeping pills, absorbed in the shallow dramas played on her "parlor walls" (flat-panel televisions), and indifferent to the oppressive society around her. She is described in the book as "thin as a praying mantis from dieting, and her flesh like white bacon." Despite her husband's attempts to break her from the spell society has on her, Mildred continues to be shallow and indifferent. After Montag scares her friends away by reading Dover Beach and unable to live with someone who has been hoarding books, Mildred betrays Montag by reporting him to the firemen and abandoning him.
Mildred is not a questioning person at all. Mildred does not want to learn or know new things. Mildred's main worry is about her televisions. You would think Mildred would consider Montag more of her family than people on the television, but it does not seem that way. Mildred says her family is on the television's(69). Mildred is a very unsocial person. Mildred does not talk much even to her husband. Mildred would rather talk to her "family" in her television room. Mildred and Montag do not have much in common. Mildred seems to be selfish sometimes. Montag tells Mildred about the books and she wants to tell
The first reason why Mildred is a bad wife is because she is self centered because society took out personality. In the story “Fahrenheit 451”, The captain to Montag’s squad, Beatty, states “... Fill them with enough useless information to where they feel like they're thinking, they’ll have a sense of motion without moving.” Mildred is shocked full of this useless information, that she thinks she’s thinking. (i went off subject) Mildred made the quote, “She’s nothing to me!” to Montage(her husband/ main character) over what he saw, or how she looked like. It takes a lot to just live with the fact to watch someone die. But it truly takes someone heartless to not care at all. Society took out personality so people can no longer have hearts. But
In the magic of the mind author Dr. Elizabeth loftus explains how a witness’s perception of an accident or crime is not always correct because people's memories are often imperfect. “Are we aware of our minds distortions of our past experiences? In most cases, the answer is no.” our minds can change the way we remember what we have seen or heard without realizing it uncertain witnesses “often identify the person who best matches recollection
During the Victorian Era, society had idealized expectations that all members of their culture were supposedly striving to accomplish. These conditions were partially a result of the development of middle class practices during the “industrial revolution… [which moved] men outside the home… [into] the harsh business and industrial world, [while] women were left in the relatively unvarying and sheltered environments of their homes” (Brannon 161). This division of genders created the ‘Doctrine of Two Spheres’ where men were active in the public Sphere of Influence, and women were limited to the domestic private Sphere of Influence. Both genders endured considerable pressure to conform to the idealized status of becoming either a masculine ‘English Gentleman’ or a feminine ‘True Woman’. The characteristics required women to be “passive, dependent, pure, refined, and delicate; [while] men were active, independent, coarse …strong [and intelligent]” (Brannon 162). Many children's novels utilized these gendere...
She does not express her views of the world since she spends her days watching and “communicating” with the parlor walls. Because of this, she is very forgetful of personal events and careless of others. Bradbury 40, Montag thinks back to when he and Mildred first met. “The first time we met, where was it and when?” “Why it was at-” She stopped. “I don't know,” she said. Also in Bradbury 49, Mildred states, “..let me alone. I didn't do anything,” as Montag shares his book conflict. This shows how Mildred lacks in thinking and considering the feelings of others. Therefore, she is the opposing side of the theme of the
While “The Yellow Wallpaper” mainly touches on the treatment of women in Gilman's time and only majorly addresses how negative the reception was for them while the men of her world were well-respected individuals, “A Streetcar Named Desire” makes a commentary on the gender roles of masculinity and femininity as a whole, including the two different portrayals of masculinity and how femininity was still generally looked down upon by American society in the late 1940s, unfortunately noting that not much had changed in the time between the stories passed.
The film presents the stereotypical behavior of gay men that is evident in our society. Many of the costumes are designed to highlight the characters and the way they live. For example, Bernadette wears long flowing clothes usually white or an off cream. ‘She’ is an older ‘women’ and dresses to look like one with flowing skirts and tops with her hair done up simply.
In the generation leading up to the emergence of the flapper, the popular style for women was that of the “Gibson Girl”. Based on the depictions of women by...
Works Cited Cowie, Elizabeth. A. A. Representing the Woman: Cinema and Psychoanalysis. Minneapolis, MN -. University of Minnesota Press, 1997.
Moreover, the film Mildred Pierce follows the struggles of a hard-working mother, Mildred Pierce, as she divorces her husband and supports herself and her spoiled daughter, Veda, by starting a successful restaurant business chain. In different ways, the film challenges the notions of masculinity and femininity as gender roles are reversed with different characters but identify this, you have to look at the films ideology. Ideology is a system of ideas that structure and make sense of society. If you look at 1940s America, post World War 2, the society at the time adhered to a very hegemonic patriarchy in which men were the ones with power, the ones providing for the family; where as the women of the time were seen subordinate and were more
When one thinks of flappers, the first thing that comes to mind is the image of a woman dressed much like Julie Andrews in Thoroughly Modern Millie, bobbed hair, fringed low-waisted dress, flat-chested and highly made up face. This, though a stereotype is close to the truth. In the 20’s after the first world war women’s roles in society began to change, primarily because they started becoming more independent – both in their dress and action. They started to defy what was considered to be appropriate feminine behavior and along with those actions came new fashions. The sleek, boyish look became popular and women began to wear lower waistlines, higher hemlines, sleeveless dresses that showed off their arms, long strands of pearls and rolled down pantyhose to show their knees. Women who had larger breasts even went so far as to bind them down to fit into the flat-chested ideal of beauty. The “in” look now was boyish, much in contrast to the feminine big skirted, shirtwaisted dresses of their mothers’ age. Women began to gain the independence and social liberties that men had always possessed, they wanted to physically display their newly gained freedoms. Short hair, first as a bob, later as a slicked down “shingle” that curled above the ears emphasized the new androgynous look women were trying to obtain. These “modern” women asserted their independence by going out dancing, moving to the city alone, drinking even during prohibition, flirting and having love affairs.
The prejudice the women tolerate is evidenced by their tendency to dress in men’s clothing in order to be heard or considered (Olson). As women, their voices are inhibited or disregarded; they are overshadowed and overlooked by society. Portia, for example, has little choice but to consent to being the prize in her “loving” late father’s lottery. All decisions are made in regard to her future and life is influenced by men. The fact that the father is deceased does not diminish his power. In fact, his status a...