Textual Analysis Of The Story Of Menstruation

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Considering the historical micrcosm surrounding The Story of Menstruation one might begin to imagine life for teen girls of the late 1940s - noting the high standards for feminine perfomativity and the expectation of consumerism. The closing line from the film remarks “all life is built on cycles and the menstrual cycle is one normal and natural part of nature’s eternal plan for passing on the gift of life.” This statement is overlayed upon visuals of an adolescent girl growing up and cycling through various stages of life, but ends with “nature’s eternal plan” which according to Disney and Kotex is marriage. This brief visual display bookends the short film and establishes the notion that marriage is as normal and expected as one’s menstrual …show more content…

The collaboration between Walt Disney Productions and International Cellucotton Products Company Inc.(Kotex) may have been a result of financial trouble, but nonetheless purports rather unrealistic expectations for adolescent girls. I came to discover The Story of Menstruation as part of a desire to understand the various complexities of girl culture in American society. In doing so, I noticed that the dichotomous media texts marketed toward girls during the mid-century were as difficult a terrain to navigate as much of the media presentations are today. Such materials perpetuate Judith Butler’s theory of gendered performance which underline society’s construction of femininity in order to define what it means to be a “girl.” The primary sources throughout this study often created conflicting messages for adolescent female viewers. For example, Kotex attempted to market a modern woman and was influential in the beginning of a menstrual hygiene education curricula, yet the company simultaneously was also perpetuating quintessential American ideals. Similarly, sex education curricula of the 1940s point to the importance of educating female students about their bodies, yet sexual desire, masturbation, and infidelity were only typically discussed regarding the male

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