Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer explains that "The Piano", written and directed by Jane Campion in 1993, tells the story of a mute woman's rebellion against traditions of male control in Victorian-era New Zealand. The writer discusses that through the use of symbolism, music, and images of nature, this film explores the objectification of women in the 19th century by men who had the power to control their fates, a value system from which ramifications can still be felt today. Victorian era concepts of femininity and masculinity, appropriate gender roles, and the limits of acceptable interactions between male and female are all explored in this film.

From the Paper:

"The central figure is a woman named Ada who, though she has no physical handicap, refuses to speak. At age six, she withdrew from society and became mute by choice. Her one outlet of self-expression is to pour out her feelings on her piano, which she does so expressively that at times she hardly seems mute. Ada's lack of speaking voice reflects the suppression of women's minds and bodies in Victorian times, and her music is a reflection of her great need to break through the bonds laid upon her by society and truly express her thoughts.
"To add to Ada's non-conformity to the Victorian ideal of a chaste, virtuous woman, she has an illegitimate, 8-year-old daughter, Flora, whose parentage is never fully explained. Though it is not overtly suggested, the idea that perhaps Ada's father is the responsible party lingers. Rather than support his mute, unmarried daughter, Ada's father ships Ada, her precious piano, and Flora off to the wilds of New Zealand for an arranged marriage to Mr. Stewart, a European trying to establish a plantation. Here we see the Victorian view of women as disposable commodities that can be bought and sold as property."

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