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Gender norms in the movie thelma and louise
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“Let’s just keep going”, these are the last few words Thelma says to her best friend Louise right before they commit suicide together. Who knew that a simple road trip of two young women who wanted to seek freedom from their arrogant and hopeless men in their lives could have led to such an unexpected ending? Throughout the film, clues were given to us about the ending, but, only if we had noticed them so we could’ve avoided falling to our knees when two, loving characters kill themselves. Though, only If the audience saw this film through more realistic eyes that they could have realised that there really isn’t a place in society for these two women who seeks for freedom from an unfair society. Nonetheless, this would not make the ending unexpected …show more content…
Screams of Thelma and Louise are heard when they are blinded by a blast of sand dust while driving. Then we could see the car almost hanging on by a thread on the edge of what appears to be the beautiful ‘Grand Canyon’. “Isn’t it beautiful” The foreshadowing of this moment develop an even more unexpected ending because as the audience look at the canyon they don't expect Thelma and Louise to drive off into it at the very end. However at the end, the audience realises that the clue was already shown to them, yet, they failed to notice. From their ‘near death’ experience we tend to think that they are capable of escaping, even death. Therefore, their survival doesn’t prepare you for their intentional deaths at the very end. The foreshadowing makes the audience think good faith is on their side and they are meant to live since they had no control of the car. What we should learn from this is that we can’t always control our destiny but when we get an opportunity to control it, we should make wise decisions. Therefore the foreshadowing used to build the unexpected ending fabricates a more realistic ending that is very relatable to our everyday
Rosario was very sad because she knew that Carlitos was suffering very much. There is a scene where Carlitos is talking to his mom and Rosario ask: “what do you need Carlitos?” and he answer “I need you.” This scene clearly shows up the child’s pain of being separated from his mother. But also the pain of the mother because she is not with his child. (Riggen)
Through persuading the audience to believe that death is a wonderful and relaxing thing, she takes on a very difficult task. A common thought of the end of life is that it is a ceasing of all things good.
Though Irving and Hitchcock chose death as the ultimatum ending for their main characters, in reality the consequences tend not to be that dire. The exaggeration of the consequences point out the crucial theme that actions motivated by greed, no matter the intentions, are destructive.
In today’s world, men and women are perceived equally by the society. In the past, authority and control define men while women are given the characteristic of helplessness. Men are able to get hold of high positions while women usually are subservient to them. In movies, we would usually see women portray roles that are degrading due to the stereotypical notions they associate with this gender group. Moulin Rouge, a movie set during the 1900s narrates the story of a courtesan woman, Satine, as she undergoes hardships to earn money, experiences love but unfortunately, due to her irrational choices, faces tragic consequences at the end. Satine is a symbol of how women are being treated by the society during the era before post-feminism, where men have superiority over women. As the plot develops, Satine transforms from a worthless prostitute to someone who is courageous and willing to face her fears in order to attain her aspirations. Psychoanalyst theory and feminist analysis are apparent throughout the film. The male gaze, fantasy and feminism are three topics that will be covered in depth in this essay through relating it to the movie.
In the book Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center written by bell hooks, an African-American author, social activist and feminist first published in 1984 the author explains what she believes are the core principles of feminism. Throughout the book the author examines the early feminist theory and goes on to criticize it saying that it did not aim for a systematic change also that the movement has the potential to improve the lives of both men and women immensely. In the book the author investigates the performance of African-American women in the movement and what is needed to drive the movement towards ending oppression of all kinds.
Pretty Woman is a modern take on the classic Cinderella story where a poor misguided girl meets her prince and her life is dramatically changed. This film has fairy tale elements, but the biggest element in the movie is the use of sex; Vivian, the main character, is a prostitute. She meets her “prince” and is swept off of her feet, but what this really means is that she is bought for an entire week by a handsome, wealthy business man. One would assume that he was buying her for sex, but this is not your average prostitute transaction. This movie has a lot of third wave feminism ideals. Third wave feminism deals with using the female gender and sexuality to further the cause and portray their views. The ultimate goal of this paper is to show that Vivian Ward (portrayed by Julia Roberts), is the poster girl for third wave feminism.
After WWII, many movements in the United States secured greater liberties such as social, political, and personal freedoms. Along with many others, the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements were very successful during this time. These movements were both significant in our society because they changed the history of the United States.
The Scarlet Letter can easily be seen as an early feminist piece of work. Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story that exemplifies Hester as a strong female character living with her choices, whether they were good or bad, and also as the protagonist. He also presents the daughter of Hester, Pearl, as an intelligent female, especially for her age. He goes on to prove man as imperfect through both the characters of Dimmesdale and of Chillingworth. With the situation that all the characters face, Hawthorne establishes the female as the triumphant one, accomplishing something that, during Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time, authors did not attempt.
Women are crucial to society. They are our voices, and they revolutionize our people. More importantly, mothers are a big part of our society. J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan is a magic-filled story about a mischievous young boy named Peter, and his tribe, the Lost Boys, who explore and go from raising themselves to attaining a mother. This story can be studied under the lens of the Feminist Critical Theory, which focuses on women empowerment and their outstanding role in society. Literature allows society to explore this role, which J.M Barrie displays impeccably in his book. Barrie’s book definitively presents Wendy’s journey from childhood to motherhood, her role in the development of Peter and the Lost Boys, and the idealization of women. Peter
A major point of foreshadowing was what the oldtimer told the man. The oldtimer told the man that "no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below." If the man would have listened, he could have survived. Because he didn't listen; he lost his life.
“Why are you taking a Women’s Studies class? Feminism is stupid…I’m definitely not one of those girls who calls herself a feminist,” I was shocked to hear my freshman year roommate exclaim her distaste towards the feminist identity. Despite the incredible strides that feminism has made and is still making today, there are no shortage of individuals who see feminism as a movement that doesn’t align with their personal beliefs or values. So many different groups and individuals have defined—often times in contention with each other—what it means to be a feminist. To many individuals, the overwhelming and varied definitions of feminism have made the term lose some of its meaning. Additionally, while feminism today appears to be more inclusive
For Maxim Gorki and Henrik Ibsen, the "the surprise ending" is a device to highlight the extreme desperation and hopelessness man is often faced. In both cases, the plays end with an act of suicide - The Actor in The Lower Depths, and Hedda in Hedda Gabler. The alcoholic Actor dreamt of a far off hospital that helped drunkards by curing them of their disease. He struggles through out the play trying to find this path to redemption. Hedda tries to control a world that she is trapped in. This control would result in her freedom to exist in true self-expression. Both characters live in denial. They subconsciously understand that these aspirations will forever be fantasies due to their society; they survive restlessly in these worlds of illusion. However, by the end of each play, the illusion crumbles, and both are forced to face the dire truth of their situations. The characters decide to act in the most brutal and finite way to control their own fate, ending their lives. By comparing two powerful and similar surprise endings involving two acutely different characters, Gorki and Ibsen send a similar message. Whether a character's fantastical illusions come in the form of escape, salvation, hope, or control, the destruction of these illusions result in a personal devastation that can be insurmountable.
In a society unbridled with double standards and set views about women, one may wonder the origins of such beliefs. It might come as a surprise that these ideals and standards are embedded and have been for centuries in the beloved fairy tales we enjoyed reading as kids. In her analytical essay, “To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tales”, Karen Rowe argues that fairy tales present “cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues.” Rowe presents an excellent point, which can be supported by versions of the cult classics, “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper” and the Brothers Grimm’s “ Snow White” exemplify the beliefs that females are supposed to be docile, dependent on the male persona and willing to sacrifice themselves. In many cases, when strong female characters are presented they are always contradicting in these characteristics, thus labeled as villainous. Such is the case of the Cinderella’s stepsisters in Perrault’s “Cinderella” and the stepmother in the Brothers Grimm’s “Snow White.” These female characters face judgment and disapproval when they commit the same acts as male characters. With such messages rooted in our beloved fairy tales it is no wonder that society is rampant with these ideals about women and disapprove of women when they try to break free of this mold.
The biological differences that set apart the male and female gender throughout any culture remain eminent. Men are perceived as the stronger and dominant gender; women play the role of the weaker. In each culture the expectation of the manner in which men and women behave are influenced by the ideals and customs of that culture. In most predominant cultures, the man undertakes the role as a leader, and the woman devotes her life to the husband. Throughout history, traditions and literature provide a template to the identities of various cultures. Sleeping Beauty’s classic tale of a beautiful princess takes a central precept that previous patriarchal archetypes dominated during the 17th Century. The archetypal perceptions of women resulted from conscious and unconscious literature influenced by male-dominated perspectives and social standards.
The story Little Women takes place at a time when women were taking on uncustomary roles like physical laborer, family protector and provider, and military volunteer while their husbands served during the Civil War. Keeping within the boundaries of the time, Louisa May Alcott uses herself and her own three sisters to create this classical novel from personal experiences. Each sister is different. They each set goals and dreams for their selves whether it goes along with their contemporary society or not. With the assistance of their mother, friends and experiences, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy struggle between their personal expectations and society’s expectations as they plan for their future and choose their destinies.