250-400 words. Dialogue with one another--some of you are doing a better job of this than others. This is not an "add-on" at the end of your post. It should seamlessly fit in.
Due: Monday, October 15, 2012 BY class time.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Bella vs. Katniss: The Battle of the Heroine
250-400 words. Dialogue with one another--some of you are doing a better job of this than others. This is not an "add-on" at the end of your post. It should seamlessly fit in.
Due: Monday, October 15, 2012 BY class time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In The Ugly Truth, Katherine Heigl played the character Abby Richter. In this movie we can see how she is both a feminist and a romantic. She is a news producer, financially independent, and has strong character. Abby goes through several stages in the movie. She begins as very strong women with a career, money, good organization but still not perfectly happy due to her lack of a romantic life. Throughout the movie she goes through a Professional Plot journey Hero vs. Self as Storey mentions. She begins a love life, being someone who she wasn’t, but in the same journey she began discovering her own qualities and how amazing she was. At the end she has love and has found her identity more capable of embracing who she was.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this movie; she is a feminist, and a romantic. She ends up falling in love with the “villain”, the guy who made her mad, and had such a sexist personality. At the end “he is tamed” (Philips 58). He was a player who didn’t believe in love and only wanted sex. At the end of the movie she “brought him under her control” (Philips 58). He gave up his style of life for her; he is no longer a player, but a committed man to her.
Although she was looking for love she wasn’t surrounding her life with love; she focused on her career and other aspects of her life. Where she lacked feminism was in that even though she had other focuses she was also really desperate for love. Mike Chadway the “villain” helped her get a guy who she was not able to get on her own. This takes away from her feminism because she needed a man to help her obtain what she wanted. She got her strength back when she decided she wanted Mike instead.
Abby was a feminist and a romantic, she was a feminist in her everyday life, but in her knowledge of herself and in her romantic life, she lacked that strength. The good thing is that at the end of the movie she had both romance and feminism under her control.
And so, Rhianna must be proud.
ReplyDeleteIn the bestseller 50 Shades of Grey, the heroine, Anna, is a clumsy, quiet brunette from the Pacific Northwest (sound familiar anyone?). At the beginning of the novel, Anna is a virgin and has never had a serious relationship; by pure accident, Anna encounters the sexy and wealthy Christian Grey. As their relationship deepens, Anna uncovers an unnerving, and fascinating secret: Christian only dates women who legally submit themselves to his every sexual whim.
Cue Rhianna’s S&M.
In the first novel of the series, I would definitely consider Anna a die hard romantic because she puts her fascination with Christian above her own mental and physical well-being. Anna endures physical beatings and fears Christian’s every word because she is convinced she is in love with him. When presented with a contract that would legally bind her to the duty of being Christian’s submissive, Anna doesn’t consider leaving Christian because she is too consumed with lust and desire. Any modern feminist would cringe at the horror of that contract- it encompasses all the gender oppression feminists have worked so hard to eliminate! But Anna? She barely blinks an eye and moves forward to participate in some very kinky sex. Anyone who would willingly experiment with those diverse sexual acts must be utterly blinded by love. Therefore, Anna is a romantic because she sacrificed her own well being to satisfy the sick mind of her loved one.
But wait- Anna can also be considered a feminist. In the article by Phillips that we read last week, heroines in romance novels are prized because they have the ability “to [confront the hero]- not with physical strength, but with intelligence and courage” (Phillips 56). Anna is physically and monetarily weaker than Christian, but by the end of the series, Christian is her husband and the father of her child. She has converted Christian from a serial dominant to someone who loves her. This is a feat I know I could have never accomplished. Thus, her success also raises the question: is running away from a controlling man or staying to change him more ‘feminist’? I think the answer depends on the balance between self-sacrifice and happiness. Anna does endure pain and anxiety, but she also benefits from the love, security, and protection of her relationship. She is able to walk the line that works for her own personality- even when many critics have called her bat-shit crazy. Alexandria also mentioned that having a career is a feminist quality. Anna and Christian fight often about Anna’s independence because Anna wants to acquire a publishing job on her own while Christian just wants to support her financially. Even though Anna becomes emotionally obsessed with Christian, she still remains stubborn on creating a career for herself, which, as Alexandria mentioned, is a feminist motivation. Therefore, Anna can be considered a feminist because she is able to make the stubborn Christian hers, which was a very daunting task indeed.
Throughout the novel, Anna is simultaneously consumed by sex (a romantic trait) yet strong enough to fight for a ‘love in the rough’ (a feminist feat).
Trinity is the main female lead in the trilogy The Matrix. She is considered both a feminist, and a romantic, dealing with her love for Leo and saving the world as well. The Matrix has an lengthy backstory, but to quickly summarize, machines have taken over the world and put humans in pods where they are unaware of what’s happening outside in the real world. People’s brains are connected to a giant server where humans believe they are living a normal life, but it’s a computer world, this world is called the Matrix. There are a small amount of people who have broken out of that world, and escaped their pods, Trinity is one of these select few. At the beginning of the movie, Neo is in the Matrix unaware of any world other than his own. He eventually breaks free and meets Trinity, they then try to take down the machines. Wow, that sounds a hell of lot nerdier than I thought it would, it’s a great movie, I swear!
ReplyDeleteAnywho, Trinity is both a romantic and a feminist. The feminist in her is a lot like Laura in the Nora Roberts novel where she is large and in charge, and doesn’t really “need” a man, but falls in love regardless. Trinity has many skills, she can drive hovercrafts and hack into computers, which she does a lot. Laura is a lawyer which gives her an advantage over Royce, specifically how Trinity has a slight advantage over Neo in the beginning.
Unlike Aly and Alexandra, Trinity does not change Neo throughout the novel. He is not a bad boy who physically beats on women to get off. He's a relatively normal guy who falls in love with her. This is where our characters differ. Also, Trinity at one point in the movie works with Neo to save their "boss" (Morpheus). Without her help, Morpheus would've been killed. This also makes Trinity a feminist. The fact that she can work side by side, as equals, with the man she loves, or even a man in general shows high independence.
In the second film, Trinity is saved by Neo. This is the classic damsel in distress storyline. When he saves her, they fall deeper in love. This is where I believe Trinity is depicted as a romantic. In the first film, Neo dies and Trinity feels so distressed that she kisses him. As a result, he magically resurrected! I’m not sure how this relates to Trinity as a romantic, but it is an extremely romantic part of the movie. It also showcases Trinity’s romantic side because she succumbed to how much she actually “needed” a man (or loved him, however you look at it)
Overall, I believe Trinity is more a feminist than a romantic, but the romantic in her is present.
The character of Elle Woods from the movie Legally Blonde exemplifies the characteristics of both a feminist and a romantic. Elle is a heroine in the film because despite her struggles, she sticks to her guns and gets exactly what she wants. Elle is not taken seriously at the beginning of the film when she is seen as the typical wealthy California sorority girl, but as time progresses she proves herself to be intelligent and confident and becomes a valuable member of society.
ReplyDeleteElle is strictly a romantic at the beginning of Legally Blonde. She is in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend Warner, and expects a proposal from him. Elle is extremely dependent upon Warner and assumes that they will end up together. As Aly said, this lust over a man would disgust most feminist women. When Warner breaks her heart, Elle turns to chocolate and romantic movies. This just how a feminist would expect a typical dependent heartbroken woman to act. Also, everything Elle wears, uses, and owns is pink. She has long blonde hair, is beautiful, and uses her wealth to get exactly what she wants. Elle could not be more girly and feminine, making her the opposite of what the stereotype of a “strong and independent” woman should be.
After Elle’s break-up from Warner, who has left for law school, she decides to try to win him back by attending law school herself. This is where Elle finds her feminist side. Elle works incredibly hard to get into Harvard Law School, proving her intelligence and determination to get what she wants. Upon arriving at Harvard to win Warner back, Elle finds out that he is engaged to another woman. Warner makes it very clear that he does not take Elle seriously, further recognizing her past dependence on him. Rather than becoming an emotional wreck upon discovering this about Warner, Elle uses it as motivation to improve herself and become a stronger woman. Elle becomes very goal-oriented and professional, and begins to take law school seriously. Elle sets out to prove the world wrong and show that feminine women can also be feminists. Various people try to take advantage of Elle, including one of her professors. No one takes her work at law school seriously. Her continued hard work, however, shows, “The heroine can be threatened, but by God that chin had better shoot up in the air pretty damn quick and these small fists had better start swinging” (Phillips 58). Elle’s perseverance would make any feminist proud.
At the end of the movie, Elle helps to solve a murder trial in the courtroom. Despite people’s doubts she impresses everyone present. The ironic part is, she uses her girly feminine side to help solve the case. This displays her success at being a feminist and a romantic. She uses her fashion knowledge in the courtroom to help gain success and a high-powered job. She graduates from Harvard and gets a job at a powerful law firm, while maintaining the successful and supportive relationship she formed during her time at Harvard with Emmett. As Alexandra said, having a successful job is an important feminist belief. Elle is able to balance her job with her romance. Warner gets no recognition or work upon graduating from Harvard, which shows Elle’s power over him. Elle uses her independence as well as her feminism side to create, “An emotional stronghold that no amount of physical strength or worldly power can break through” to prove her doubters wrong (Phillips 57). Elle is the heroine of the movie Legally Blonde, and becomes her best self by finding balance between feminism and romance in her life. Neither defines her, but both are important in forming who she is.
When I first read the prompt for this blog post, I immediately thought of one specific heroine: Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Though Hermione is not the main character of this series, she does travel a journey all her own, and on this journey she easily displays that she is both a feminist and a romantic.
ReplyDeleteHermione demonstrates that she is a feminist by being independent and self-sufficient. She is incredibly intelligent, extremely quick witted, and simply does not take nonsense from anyone. Throughout the series, she constantly has to get Harry and Ron out of bad situations, whether it is school, girls, or one of their adventures gone awry. She shows that she is a strong woman by her lack of intimidation despite the fact that her best friend is arguably the most famous person in the Wizarding world – she knows her strengths and wears them proudly. She also shows her strength against her enemies. One of my favorite moments of Hermione’s feminism occurs in the third book, when Draco Malfoy has just called her a “mud blood.” Rather than allowing Harry or Ron to fight this battle for her, she confronts Malfoy on her own, knowing that he is physically stronger. Despite this fact, she punches him right in the face. By standing up for herself, Hermione shows Malfoy and everyone else that she is not afraid of them and that she is proud of who she is. Just as Phillips described in her article “The Romance and the Empowerment of Women”, in this scenario Hermione become the “spunky heroine [who] thrusts her chin up in the air and lays down the law to a towering, menacing, broad-shouldered male” (Phillips 57).
Yet, Hermione can also be seen as a romantic. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that she has feelings for Ron but that she is unable to express them. This is especially evident when Ron becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a ditzy girl named Lavender Brown. Hermione becomes very jealous, and is found crying in the hallway. Then, once Ron and Lavender accidentally run into her, she transfigures a group of birds and charms them to attack him. This event demonstrates that Hermione is a romantic because she is incredibly affected by the fact that Ron has feelings for someone other than her, and cannot stand the idea of it. She is attached to this boy and wants him all to herself, a very romantic concept.
However, unlike Alexandra and Aly’s characters, Hermione does not necessarily “tame” Ron in the traditional sense. What she does do is get him to realize that he has been an idiot and needs to get his act together. I believe that in this unconventional way, Hermione has “managed to change him from an emotionally frigid Neanderthal into a sensitive, caring, nurturing human being” (Phillips 58). In essence, she has “tamed” him, but only by way of making him recognize his own stupidity.
For these reasons, I believe that Hermione Granger is an excellent example of a heroine who carries both feminist and romantic qualities.
Feminism is too often defined by a person’s lifestyle, rather than their deep-seated beliefs. In today’s society, feminism is defined through a woman’s career or her political activism, rather than her ideals. The characters previously mentioned as being feminist are all defined as such. Holly’s Elle Woods becomes a lawyer; Alexandra’s Abby has a career, money, etc, Hermione is able to flaunt her knowledge, and create her own organization for equal rights. But how is feminism defined when a woman can’t achieve these things? In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, despite being socially oppressed in Britain in the 1800’s because she is a woman, Jane Eyre is a feminist due to her beliefs in equality, and actions to achieve it in her marriage.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Jane is oppressed in society because of her gender, she does not believe she is of lesser value than men. Jane has strong beliefs about equality that ring very true with feminism. This can be seen in her question to her love interest, Mr. Rochester, “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart”. This quote is a great example of Jane’s feminism. She recognizes that a person’s worth is not determined by their gender, or size, or looks, but by their soul, and that everyone’s soul is of equal value.
There is no denying that Jane is a romantic, as the main conflict in the novel revolves around her relationship with Mr. Rochester. However, Jane works hard to make her marriage an equal one. Jane only marries Rochester once she has inherited a great deal of money and once the marriage reflects her religious beliefs. Most importantly, Jane marries Rochester after he has been crippled and blinded by a fire. This is an example of Krentz’s belief that feminism is shown through “the power structure of patriarchal society” being “invert[ed]” (Krentz 5). When Jane does marry, she actually has power over her husband, when traditionally it would have been the other way around. Is there anything more feminist than flipping patriarchal society on its head? Clearly, through her beliefs in equality and actions to achieve it in her marriage, Jane Eyre was a feminist before feminism even existed.
Now some may look with disapproval at the character I have chosen because of her profession and lifestyle, but I believe that Vivian played by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" is an ideal candidate for this discussion. For those that don't know Vivian plays a Hollywood Blvd prostitute. Though the plot line of a prostitute and a high powered business man may not be the typical premise of a fairytale this movie represents a woman conflicted between her feminist core and the romantic desires she starts to develop.
ReplyDeleteSome would say that a woman who is a prostitute has no self-respect and becomes one to satisfy insecurities. In "Pretty Woman" Vivian and her fellow prostitute friend Kit have a saying that they work by. "We say who, we say when, we say how much". (Pretty Woman). I always think to this quote when I want to be reminded that I make my own decisions. Although the quote is about how Vivian will decide to sleep with a man I think the words are empowering. A woman who lives by these words tells me that they are strong and independent.
This movie was made in the early 90's and I believe that by the way Vivian has chosen a lifestyle of sexual expression she is a third-wave feminist. She is dressing in a provocative nature for her profession, but at the same time she is not ashamed of the way she looks. Third-wave feminists wanted to stop the exploitation of those involved in porn and other professions of the same nature. In the article "Sexy From The Start" the third-wave feminist is discussed as sexually empowered.
However, while Vivian is embracing her sexuality the audience knows that her character has romantic desires. Like most films of this nature Vivian does end up with Edward in the end. She "falls" for Edward in the romantic way that most feminists disapprove. Feminists may say that when Vivian acquires romantic feelings for Edward and agrees to be with him in the end she is losing power. I however feel that Vivian is conquering her femininity in a way that all feminists should admire. I look at her and see a woman who has known her ground rules from the beginning and even following them has found the pleasure of companionship to a man she loves. I do not see Vivian as a helpless young woman in need of Edward because I believe that if she had not ended up with Edward she would still be happy and independent.
Holly's view on Elle Woods is very similar to mine on Vivian. Elle grows into a bright, strong, and independent woman by the end of the movie when she graduates. Although Vivian breaks away from her profession rather than starting one she grows stronger just as Elle did. As I mentioned above I was not concerned that Vivian needed Edward although he brought her happiness. Holly mentioned that in Elle's life her relationship does not define her and that is the same terminology I would use for Vivian. I see high hopes for Vivian as the film ends but I do not think that her relationship with Edward defines them.
When I read the topic for today’s blog post my mind immediately started going through a list of heroines I really respect because they are able to be their own person while also falling in love. The first name that came to my mind was Elena Gilbert from the Vampire Diaries. She is a character that is able to make her own decisions but is still in love with Stefan. Another unique thing about her portraying both roles is that Stefan, the man, does not fight her on them. Elena is able to be her own person but still be in love with a man, or in this case vampire.
ReplyDeleteWhen Meg described Hermoine from Harry Potter she said she had a “lack of intimidation.” This is an important part to being a feminist. They cannot be scared of the men in their life. This is a talent Elena possesses. She is rarely scared and will do anything to keep the ones she loves safe. More people depend on her than she depends on other people. But she also has a relationship people want to be. Caroline is constantly jealous of what Elena and Stefan have and Damon always wishes he could be Stefan so she would love him like she loves Stefan.
Often when women and feminists get more into the action is when the heroine stands up for herself instead of playing the role of damsel in distress. This is something Phillips emphasizes, “My favorite scenes are always those in which the spunky heroine thrusts her chin up in the air and lays down the law to a towering, menacing, broad-shouldered male” (57). This is constantly what Elena does. Even if she has been kidnapped or in danger from something for the hundredth time she still holds her own ground and does not rely on other people to save her.
Elena is her own person and is able to make her own decisions. But she is able to have romance in her life at the same time. I like when Tali explains that Vivian is more than her relationship “I do not think that her relationship with Edward defines [her].” I completely feel the same way about Elena. Yes, she is Stefan’s girlfriend and Damon is in love with her too. But her character is not defined by this. She is more than just a girl for those two. She is her own person that is able to make her own decisions and stand up for herself.
As a successful, New York, newspaper columnist and fashionista, Carrie Bradshaw of “Sex in the City” perfectly depicts the attributes of both a feminist and a romantic. She is intelligent, confident, witty, and independent, yet, she fascinates in the world of sex and studies the relationships between men and women. Carrie is emotional and intuitive in her writing, and even admits to getting “Carried away.” In her writing, she likes to discuss relationships and sex realistically, but, is undoubtedly on a quest to find the love of her life. Carrie is very much a romantic, looking to get swept off her feet. But, she holds high expectations for herself, and even questions if she is the type to marry and have children.
ReplyDeleteCarrie is feminist, in a unique, third wave form, as she is strong, successful, and self-reliant, while completely connected to her womanly side. Carrie is obsessed with designer everything and is known to wear Gucci, Prada, Christian Dior... you get the picture. She is a New York City fashion goddess, even spending up to 400$, on average, on the perfect pair of shoes. Carrie, very much similar to Holly’s character, Elle Woods, represents third wave feminism, as explained by “Sexy from the Start” by Jennifer Scanlon. She celebrates fashion, sex appeal, and her womanly curves, all for herself. Ultimately, this does not lessen her powerful, feministic character.
Despite this powerful attribute, Carrie is always discussing men and/or looking for a man. In fact, men are essential components of “Sex in the City,” a concept we have pondered much in class. Often times, Carrie and her three friends will discuss sex escapades, one night stands, and ongoing dating situations. Carrie, specifically, has an on and off relationship with Mr. Big, a wealthy man who sets Carrie off-kilter. This is an interesting concept, in the fact that the man is bringing Carrie both happiness and thrill, yet stress. Similar to Meg’s Hermione, I don’t believe Carrie necessarily uses Krentz’s idea of “taming” the male character. She certainly wishes Mr. Big were more emotionally open with her and tries to bring out this change, but fails repeatedly. Overall, Carrie is flexible and understanding in this relationship, due to her unconditional love for him. Because of this, Mr. Big can be viewed as Carrie’s villain, since he presents her with many challenges (Krentz 109). He shows Carrie her emotional needs, fears, and insecurities. This follows Storey’s classic hero’s journey, where Carrie must learn to cope, control her life, and overcome these challenges.
I believe Carrie Bradshaw’s character is extremely unique, in terms of being feministic and romantic. She is beautiful, girly, and looking for romance, yet strong, and self-sufficient. This, overall, exemplifies how women can be both romantic and feminist, and this mix doesn’t detract from either side.
The main heroine in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, is the perfect example of a character who struggles between feminism and romance. Because this film was set in the late 1700s, feminist views were completely different. But I still believe that Elizabeth struggled to find a balance between feminism and romance that is relevant today.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning Elizabeth is told that she is supposed to find marriage in order to have a happy life. The time she was in did not even account for feminism or romance. Elizabeth was different. She started out as a feminist. She wanted to be independent, and live her life on her own terms. Feminist is generally defined as women being equal to their male counter parts, and although the actual feminist movement had not even occurred during the time this film was set, Elizabeth was one of the first women to be portrayed as a feminist. Lexi defines a feminist as being defined through a woman’s career or political activism, and I do agree with this but I also think that it is more. In a time where women did not have careers, I think the unspoken idea of feminism was based on discovering independence and women figuring out what they want out of life and going to get it.
As the film moves along, we realize that Elizabeth exemplifies characteristics of third wave feminism; she desires independence and equality, she also desires romantic gestures and true love. Some might even say that as Elizabeth progresses through the film she moves from being a feminist to a romantic. But I disagree because Elizabeth’s very desire to find true love is what gives her independence. In her time marriage was about money and not romance, but she fights for romance against her better judgment, to defy society’s standards and become independent and a romantic at the same time.
The story of Sailor Moon (Serena) follows a witty young teenage girl who discovers she is one of the Sailor Scouts that has magical powers to fight against the evil forces in order to save Earth and to find the moon princess. At first, she seems completely shocked, until she is put into action for the first time to fight. As the story line progresses, she meets and creates a group of fighting Sailor Scouts. Sailor moon eventually finds out that she is the moon princess. So far, Sailor Moon seems to be such a strong feminist, but she actually isn’t as big of one as you would think.
ReplyDeleteIn comes Tuxedo Mask (Darien), who mysteriously appears to help the Sailor Scouts fight and saves their lives when they need it the most. The two undoubtedly fall in love with each other. In their daily lives, they are always at each other’s throats, not knowing what their secret identities are. When Sailor Moon finds out she is the moon princess, she also finds out that Tuxedo Mask was her fiancé. Right after they discover each other’s secret identities, Darien is injured and at that moment, Serena realizes that she’s been in love with him (both Dairen and Tuxedo Mask) all this time. The enemy captures him, leaving Serena hopeless and gives up, telling her sailor scouts she doesn’t want to fight any more because she has lost Darien. This moment is when I consider Sailor Moon to be a true romantic because she essentially gives up her job since she lost her love. In this relationship, similar to Cam and Meg’s, Sailor Moon doesn’t necessarily “tame” Tuxedo Mask, as he was originally a good guy but changes the dynamics of their relationship later on, becoming more serious.
I find Sailor Moon has a good mixture of feminist and romantic elements. She fights till the death to defeat the evil forces, but often depends on Tuxedo Mask to do that. The Sailor Scouts fight for justice, yet when they transform into their Sailor uniform, it would be anti-feminist in the eyes of some second wave feminists and embracing what third wave feminists value. They transform into wearing a schoolgirl’s uniform, but the skirts are so short, revealing their skinny and long legs. Sailor Moon has her long blonde locks tied into two pig tails and has many jewels all over her uniform, along with her blinged-out wand she uses for her powers. Just as Holly mentioned about Elle using her femininity to help her define her feminist moment, this goes the same for Sailor Moon because this shows how she can still dress in this certain way, clearly very feminine and girly, and still fight to save all of humanity at the exact same time. As described in the reading “Sexy from the Start” about reclaiming the term girl, Helen Gurley Brown thinks that “[a girl] can enjoy the fun of being a girl and the power of being a woman” (Scanlon 134). I think Sailor Moon does this so well, she enjoys the fun of being a girl dressing in a feminine way, but has the power of a woman when she fights with no complications. In the article about Bella and Katniss, Noah Berlatsky argues “whether it's in a fist fight or in the hearts of critics, butch beats girly every time” (Berlastky). This is contrary to what I see in Sailor Moon because she is both butch and girly at the same time with her fighting in her girly outfits. In addition, Berlastky argues, “[p] ower and desire have to separate” I don’t see why not have both? In the end of story plot, Sailor Moon finds the ultimate power to defeat the Dark Kingdom. She also finds her desire for Tuxedo Mask, as they were always fated to be together. Even before they found out each other’s true identities, they fell in love as normal people and guided Sailor Moon to discover her desire for him and to continue looking for him. Therefore, I think that the heroine, Sailor Moon is equally of a romantic as she is a feminist.
When I think of a true “heroine”, one of the first women to come to my mind is Neytiri from Avatar. When Jake Sully, a cocky Marine, stumbles into a pack of predators called viperwolves on a moon called Pandora, it is Neytiri who saves him through the use of a bow and arrow. As an avatar of the Na’vi population, Sully gets to know Neytiri, the daughter of the Na’vi leader. She becomes his guide as he learns the Na’vi way of life. Throughout this process the movie shows that Neytiri is just as smart, able-bodied, and independent as her male counterparts, therefore proving that she is a feminist.
ReplyDeleteJake falls in love with Neytiri to the extent in which he switches sides completely towards the end of the movie. He decides to protect the Na’vi people instead of being a part of the group that he came to Pandora with from Earth, who are only focused on gaining the resources that the people on Earth have foolishly used up. Neytiri has “produced the new male-strong and intensely physical, but possessing all the sensitive, nurturing qualities of the female.” (Phillips 58). Like Alexandra and Aly’s characters, Neytiri “tames” Jake and “his strength now belongs to her” (Phillips 58). Neytiri realizes she is also in love with Jake, although it is obvious she is perfectly fine on her own. This shows that she can also be a romantic.
Throughout the movie Avatar Neytiri shows how a woman can be a feminist as well as a romantic. She is fierce and independent but does not deny the feelings she discovers she has for Jake Sully. She does not let him completely take over her life, but rather by the end of the movie he becomes an important part of it.
I am actually glad that this is the prompt for this blog post. Over the summer, I read a dystopian series called ‘Delirium’. Lena Haloway is the main character within this novel. She is a very reserved girl that always follows the rules of her controlling society and government. Within this dystopian world love is considered bad and at the age of 16 people are required to have a surgery that stops them from falling in love with anyone or anything. When she begins to near the age of 16, Lena gets more and more excited for the surgery, because she wants to follow the rules of the society and do what they say because she thinks that love is bad. However, a few weeks before her surgery she ends up falling in love with a boy that was able to evade the surgery. In a few more weeks, the government is on to her and tries to give her and her boyfriend the surgery. When this happens, Lena tries to d everything within her power to stop the government from controlling who she likes. She is still the reserved and quiet girl she has always been but she is more determined to protect the people she loves. Thus, she is still the feminine and tranquil female like Bella, but is still willing to fight for her rights and freedom like Katniss. I really like Lena, because she isn’t the stereotypical romantic like Bella, but she is also not just a can of ‘whoop-ass’ like Katniss. She just does what is necessary to protect those she loves, without losing her feminine traits and characteristics. Lena, in this story, is the perfect mixture of Bella’s passiveness and femininity and Katniss’ strength.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, Lena can be viewed as a moderate feminist she is still extremely reliant on her boyfriend. When he was finally captured by the government she didn’t even see the point in living anymore. However, her reliance on her relationship with him shouldn’t be viewed as a sign or weakness or as an act against feminism. In the second book, she believes that he has died so she mourns for a few months and slowly starts to return to return to her old self and builds resilience. I agree with Cam, it is perfectly fine to not necessarily want a man in one’s life but still end up falling in love.
Throughout the series, Lena is considered more of a moderate feminist and a romantic combined. Although she seems dependant once she meets Alex, her boyfriend, once he dies, she is able to eventually find her strength and move on with her life.
As I was struggling to think of a character that would fit this blog post, my mind went back to Disney characters. There are so many differing opinions about whether or not little children should be allowed to watch movies that illustrate the idea that women need a prince charming to save them. Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Aurora, and more have always been seen as dependent on a man to rescue them and turn their life into a fairytale. None of these would work very well in an argument about heroines, even if they did have a few feminist traits to go along with the romantic ones. However, the only Disney character that doesn’t fit into this mold is Mulan. She is the only Disney female that can match up to Storey’s hero model.
ReplyDeleteMulan goes through almost the entire cycle, starting when she enters the army as a man. She works to be the best, proving that she is by climbing up the huge pole, but still does not completely fit in because she can’t act exactly like the guys. Then the huns come along, and Mulan fights with the army, and buries most of them. Unfortunately, she is found out as a girl and is forced to leave the army, but on her way back, discovers that the Huns are still alive. Mulan goes to the emperor’s palace, and defeats the leader of the Huns, and the entire city bows down to her. She then goes back home to her normal life, where Captain Li Shang comes to see her and shows interest in her romantically.
Mulan is a great example of a feminist and romantic, because although you can see a relationship developing between her and Li Shang throughout the film, she remains focused on her own goal of bringing honor to her family. Although she is worried that she will be found out or killed, Mulan contains her fear and follows through with her plan. As Jordyn said, a woman cannot fear the men around her, or if she does then she must contain that fear to hold her own. Mulan does just that, even when faced with many obstacles that could lead to dishonor or death. When Mulan is found out to be a girl, the scene very much resembles one of the set ups of romance novels that Phillips mentioned, where the man has the power to kill the female but doesn’t. “It would be quite easy to send this feisty bothersome, stubborn little critter who is causing him so much grief to her death, or at the very least, into a lengthy and gruesome imprisonment. But he never does this because she has ensnared him in an emotional stranglehold that no amount of physical strength or worldly power can break through. From the moment they meet, he is a goner. All his muscle, wealth, and authority are useless against her courage, intelligence, generosity, loyalty, and kindness.
Although Li Shang saw these traits in Mulan as a fellow soldier and comrade, it still rings true. However, the story puts a bit of a twist on what Cam said about “not needing a man,” because technically Mulan is supposed to be finding a husband instead of going to war. But, finding a husband does not necessarily mean finding love, and that is what happens by the end anyway, just like in the Nora Roberts book, as Cam mentioned earlier. Regardless, Mulan is a perfect example of a woman who refuses to bow down under male authority, showing her feminist side, but still manages to find love through her adventures, revealing her romantic side.