In the film The Day of the Outlaw, women seem to have a different type role in society compared to the Western films we have previously seen. Men had more respect for women, and women had more power over men that enable them to stand up to them. For example, Hal’s wife Helen decides to end her love affair with Blaise by telling him she no longer has feelings for him. Helen being a married woman and having an affair with another man was a big deal in this genre, and her being the one to make the decision to end it showed power that women in other Westerns did not have. Filmed in 1959, The Day of the Outlaw was made during the second wave of the feminist movement, which was arguably the most radical time of the movement and resulted in some of the greatest achievements of the century. Post-World War II, women entered the work force and realized their ability to do men’s work and that they were equal. Thus, women began fighting hard for their voice to be heard and for equality. This movement in history is seen in this film by they way the women have more of a voice and power over men.
In the film The Day of the Outlaw, women seem to have a different type role in society compared to the Western films we have previously seen. Men had more respect for women, and women had more power over men that enable them to stand up to them. For example, Hal’s wife Helen decides to end her love affair with Blaise by telling him she no longer has feelings for him. Helen being a married woman and having an affair with another man was a big deal in this genre, and her being the one to make the decision to end it showed power that women in other Westerns did not have. Filmed in 1959, The Day of the Outlaw was made during the second wave of the feminist movement, which was arguably the most radical time of the movement and resulted in some of the greatest achievements of the century. The 50s was the decade of conservatism, but near the end women spoke up about their desire to work.Post-World War II, women entered the work force and realized their ability to do men’s work and that they were equal. Thus, women began fighting hard for their voice to be heard and for equality. The women’s movement began to become more active; the majority of males in society were against the movement. This recoiling against and repression of the women’s movement can be seen in this film. In The Day of the Outlaw, characters Helen and Ernine are portrayed as quite outspoken strong female characters who feel trapped, but are ignored and regarded as inferior by the men who just view them as objects. In the first wave of the feminist movement, America began to “demonize” this surge of women’s independence by deporting, imprisoning, or silencing women in other ways. Although men could no longer use these methods as the second wave came around, men still expressed their opinions and disapproval of the movement through the medium of film. The classical Western reinforced the image of masculinity as the strong and silent type. The Day of the Outlaw shows the advancement women were beginning to make in history as well as the negative reaction their movement was receiving in society.
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