In Tompkins' chapter Women and the Language of Men, she discusses how women are viewed in Western films. "As in the case of women in Westerns generally, is that there's nothing to them. They may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble (Tompkins 61)." Tompkins explains how men view women, in these films, as weak. They don't like how much women talk and find that they have very little to say. Women's opinion doesn't matter.
In the film High Noon, this view of women seems to hold true. Will refuses to leave town once he finds out that the four men are coming back. Even though, his wife of one hour, is begging him to leave town. He doesn't listen to her and stays, even after she threatens to leave without him.
However, in the film The Ballad of Little Joe, Joe, who is believed to be a man, is actually a woman escaping her high society life after she has a child out of wed lock. She fools everyone and up until she dies, the men and women in the mining village all believe that she is a man. Joe manages to break the view of women discussed by Tompkins and is well-respected. However, that may be just because they believe her to be a man. When she was a women, she was treated horribly. She was mistreated and even sold to other men. However, she leaves behind her life as an ill-treated women and takes on the life of an alpha male cowboy.
In Tompkins' chapter Women and the Language of Men, she discusses how women are viewed in Western films. "As in the case of women in Westerns generally, is that there's nothing to them. They may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble (Tompkins 61)." Tompkins explains how men view women, in these films, as weak. They don't like how much women talk and find that they have very little to say. Women's opinion doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteIn the film High Noon, this view of women seems to hold true. Will refuses to leave town once he finds out that the four men are coming back. Even though, his wife of one hour, is begging him to leave town. He doesn't listen to her and stays, even after she threatens to leave without him. However, women are starting to gain a little more standing in society. This is shown through the character of Helen Ramirez. She is a very successful business woman and a prominent member of the town.
However, in the film The Ballad of Little Joe, Joe, who is believed to be a man, is actually a woman escaping her high society life after she has a child out of wed lock. She fools everyone and up until she dies, the men and women in the mining village all believe that she is a man. Joe manages to break the view of women discussed by Tompkins and is well-respected. However, that may be just because they believe her to be a man. When she was a women, she was treated horribly. She was mistreated and even sold to other men.
However, this film also represents the changing role of women in society as they fought for their rights before the Civil Rights Act.