Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Is Friday Feminist or Feeble-Minded?
Hildy Johnson is a confident career woman who can compete with men (and defeat them) in the dog-eat-dog world of journalism. She is even willing to divorce her man if he doesn't treat he right. Yet, at the same time, she seeks the domestic joys of children and caring for her man -- and in the end returns to the rascal who she left in the first place. What is the role of women in this film? Does is tell us anything about "modern" women in 1940's America?
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Feminism doesnt mean a woman does not desire to have a family or take care of someone you love, rather its about having the choice to do so and being respected. Many men desire a family to care for as well. Its a universal goal.
ReplyDeleteHildy offers a strong female character, who despite her domestic aspirations, has the respect and ability to hold her own among a male dominated business. Her ambitious drive shows the movement of women into society. Women in actual jobs was happening more and more. During WW2 there were even campaigns to draw them in. Hildy is just an example of something that was becoming more and more common.
The contrast of Hildy and the other women in the movie, highlights what a strong character she is. She had the ability to make rational decisions in hectic times whereas Bruces mother and the one sending flowers to the prisoner (name?) are usually only seen in hysterics.
I think that this film represents woman in a negative way and against feminism. At the beginning of the film Hildy is a strong and independent woman that can hold her own, and I think this shows how at this time period the image of woman was changing and they were becoming equal to men in everyone’s eyes. However the other woman in the movie (i.e. the crying woman who jumped out of the window) was shown to be weak and not being able to survive without men, and this shows the stereotypical woman during this time period. At the end of the movie Hildy is no longer her strong independent self but rather she is fragile and gets fooled by her ex-husband once again. I believe that this shows that no matter how hard a woman tries the director feels like they will always resort to their roots of the stereotypical woman during this time period and always needing a man to survive. Therefore I think this movie is not pro-feminism and its making a case that woman are not equal to men and are very fragile beings (I do not think this I’m saying this is what I think the director is trying to say).
ReplyDeleteIn her mentality, Hildy definitely has some of th makings of an independent woman: She sees it as her right to leave a man who she feels is mistreating her. Her career choice (working in such a male-dominated field) also indicates she does not believe herself to be in any way worse than a man.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while part of Hildy's mentality indicates an independent woman, another part of her remains needy for a stong man to guide her life path. (Her desire to have children and a family I, incidentally, do not see as an indication of neither her weakness, nor her independence - it is natural instinct.) However, many of Hildy's actions throughout the film indicate she still harbors the mindset that society has tried to instill in women: women are ultimately subservient to men. This mentality is truly evident from the very beginning, when Hildy comes to tell her ex-husband of her remarriage. If she truly wanted to be rid of her ex-husband, coming back to talk to him isn't the logical move to have made, especially since she can guess that he will become jealous and try to get her back by any measures he can. Thus, it follows that, though on the surface Hildy thinks she is asserting her independence, she is subconsciously heading on the path to returning to her ex-husband. In essence, while Hildy's logical mind tells her she ought to leave a man who doesn't treat her right, Hildy's subconscious feels that it is fine - even somehow the desired order of things - to be mistreated by this man. Thus, this film demonstrates that while the "modern" woman of the 1940s with her conscious mind seeks independence, her subconsious mind - inundated by society's expectations for women - causes her to revert to subservient behavior.
Wanted to add another point - the title of the film also suggests that Hildy is not independent. By nicknaming Hildy "Friday", the film alludes to Robinson Crusoe, where Friday is Crusoe's sidekick. The title thus suggests that, like Friday, Hildy is also just a sidekick, no matter how strong she fancies herself to be.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this movie, through the medium of Hildy Johnson, mocks the prospect of feminism. Not in the sense that women can't compete with men at what they are best at, but in the sense that women are not capable of making their own decisions: AKA men know what is best for them.
ReplyDeleteHildy Johnson is clearly defined as the best reporter around, male or female, and in this sense the movie does portray an element of feminism, that women can compete with men. BUT, what at first appears to be begging for her to return by her ex-husband, in fact turns out to be total control over her decision making. Her ex demands for her to stay with him, and within the (approx.) 8 hours the movie spans Hildy jumps from her soon to be husband back to her ex. The purpose of this I believe, is to show that no matter what men are the dominant sex.
That being said, by making Hildy a strong female character, the film does a good job of hiding this anti-feminist theme, by cloaking it under a "feministic" character.
I have to disagree with Evan as I think Hildy Johnson is portrayed as a strong and independent woman in the movie. First of all, she is show to be any man's equal in the workplace. At the press office for example, the old reporters treat her as a colleague and equal, not just some woman in a man's world. Beyond that, we see her prowess as a reporter in the way Burns respects her, and needs her for the story about the murderer (even if he did have other motives).
ReplyDeleteBeyond that, we see Hildy's independence in her private life. She is willing to forge her own path in life and as a result makes a 180 turn from career newswoman to a wife and mother. Irregardless of her choice, the fact that she is making her own decisions speaks volumes about her independence (to the point that her fiance was deferring to her).
While Evan brought up some interesting examples of women being portrayed poorly, I think those should be ignored. After all, only three characters are really developed: Burns, Hildy, and her fiance. So, its hard to pass judgment about two-dimensional characters. Even if you want to, you can see clear examples of incompetent men: the Governor's courier, and the Sheriff being the two biggest examples.
If the 1940's can be viewed as a middle point between the conservative domesticity of the early 20th century and the feminism of the 1960's, I think Hildy plays the role quite well. She is anyone's equal in the workplace, and she is respected as a result. She also forges her own path in her personal life, divorcing and remarrying Burns and deciding to have a family. While the choice of a family reflects the domesticity of the early 20th century, her Independence and tenacity reflect the 1960's and feminism.