Abstract The paper discusses how in fairy tales, femalecharacters are often associated with a long search for a mate, which ends in a happily-ever-after relationship. Yet, the paper maintains that what is often not considered is the strength of many female fairy tale characters and the struggles that they endure in order to achieve their goals. The paper highlights how the characters of Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel all demonstrate women that have suffered through prolonged distress prior to realizing happiness.
Abstract The paper discusses how, in "The Winter's Tale", William Shakespeare presents femalecharacters with both inner and exterior strength. It shows that along with the strength, are the qualities of understanding, forgiveness and patience. It explores the three characters in the play that represent these female characteristics - Hermione, Paulina and Perdita. For all three femalecharacters, they are a part of the action and suffer because of the events in the play. Yet even in suffering they remain gracious and strong and forgiving. The paper discusses how it is these characteristics that make "The Winter's Tale" a play about how strong and solid the femalecharacter can be, with the outcome of the play also showing what an impact these qualities can have.
From the Paper "Hermione is the central female character of the play and also the one who suffers the most. At the same time, she is the character who has the greatest amount of strength. In the play, Hermione is accused of infidelity by her husband, something that must hurt her deeply. And yet even when her husband accuses her, she remains calm. When Leontes first calls Hermione an adulteress she denies it calmly and elegantly saying, "should a villain say so, the most replenish"d villain in the world, he were as much more villain: you, my Lord, do but mistake? (II,i). For the audience, the calmness that Hermione possesses is emphasized by the contrast with her husband."
Abstract This paper looks at several Disney films such as "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" and "Shrek" among others. The progression from strict adherence to prescribed gender roles, as in "Cinderella" or "Snow White", to the noticeably different messages about gender in "Shrek" and the films in between that provided a bridge between the differing messages regarding gender norms, are analyzed. Messages regarding sexuality in Disney films and arguably appropriate content are discussed as well. There is an emphasis on the depiction of femalecharacters and the roles they play in Disney films.
From the Paper "When looking at female roles in Disney films, it is important to look at the inspiration behind those roles, Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a product of the 1940's and his patriarchal views of femininity most certainly reflect those ideals in the roles and manner in which his female characters are portrayed (O'Brien 157). In many of the Disney films children love to watch, the female characters are marginalized. The females are in unimportant or at least less important positions than are their male counterparts. Henke and others have this to say of Disney's female characters, "These alleged heroines are helpless ornaments in need of protection, and when it comes to the action of the film, they are omitted" (235). We see examples of this in the story of Cinderella when her gentleness and goodness is defined by her lack of resistance to the abuse she receives from her stepfamily (Henke 235). "
Abstract This paper analyzes the three femalecharacters in "Heart of Darkness" from a Jungian perspective. The paper explains how Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's African mistress, and his intended are representative of key archetypes found within Carl Jung's structure of personality. The key archetypes described in the paper and compared to the femalecharacters are the earth mother, the animus, or the male part of the female personality, and the anima, the female part of the mind.
From the Paper "As one can see, the three prime female characters of the novel Heart of Darkness are easily recognizable as the three aspects of Carl Jung's structure of personality. Kurtz's Intended, whom readers meet in the end, is the personification of the female anima, in her speech, her naivete, and her innocence. The other woman in Kurtz life, his African mistress, is the Intended's counterpart, the darkly masculine animus, as is demonstrated by her power of commend and fearless outlook. Finally, Marlow's adoring aunt is the prime representation of the mother, who nourishes and encourages. Through these three women one can see the mother, the animus and the anima can be blended into one well balanced unit, contrasting and complimenting itself in it's different aspects."
Abstract This paper compares the different femalecharacters portrayed in three movies and looks at how each character goes against what is expected of women in society. The three movies, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "All That Heaven Allows" and "Far From Heaven" show women acting against the conventions of society, looks at examples of female bonding in the film and discusses the French film "Choas" in terms of female bonding.
From the Paper "The female protagonist in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is quite different from those in "All That Heaven Allows" and "Far From Heaven", yet all three exemplify unruly women who go against the norms of their respective societies, especially the expected or proscribed behavior of women. The three women in these films choose to redefine their traditional roles and, in so doing, they break female stereotypes. The musical comedy, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", features Marilyn Monroe as the traditional, beautiful, sexy but dumb blonde, Lorelei Lee. Contrary to her innocent looks..."
Abstract This essay compares the masculinity and femininity of two femalecharacters from the movie "9 to 5". The characters are Violet played by Lily Tomlin and Judy played by Jane Fonda. The essay starts off with in simple layout of the movie and the characters. The next part talks about the similarities and differences of the two characters. The author explains how one character is more masculine and the other is more feminine and relates what these roles mean in real life and how masculine women differ from feminine women.
From the Paper "What would it say to the women in society if a very feminine-like person was a top executive, the makers probably asked themselves? It would make all of the homemakers, the masculine and feminine, go out and think they could get a job and rise to the top. Moreover, having a feminine-like person as an executive, according to the filmmakers would be very bad. I am very glad to see that today, women are not thought of as just homemakers anymore. People are beginning to value women at home and in the workplace. The only question I want to ask is what took so long?"
Abstract The paper relates that "A Doll House" and "Mother Courage and her Children" both have strong-minded women with three children as leading characters. The paper identifies the stark differences in these characters and discusses how Ibsen's Nora is more literal while Brecht's "Mother Courage" is more symbolical and allegorical. The paper portrays how both plays represent extremes of female characterization; Nora develops more fully into her own self, into an independent personality while "Mother Courage" pulls further away from any sense of authentic self.
Outline:
Introduction
Nora's Character "Mother Courage's" Character "Mother Courage's" reaction to Kattrin's death
Conclusion
From the Paper "Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (1789), is a play about a young woman named Nora Helmer, a mother of three small children, who is married to an overbearing bank president, Torvald. Nora realizes during the play that she, because of society's repressions, solely domestic expectations of women, has never really grown up into an independent adult human being. Ibsen stated when asked about his reason for writing this particular play: "A woman cannot be herself in contemporary society, it is an exclusively male society with laws drafted by men, and with counsel and judges who judge feminine conduct from the male point of view" ("A Doll's House" Wikipedia)."
An analysis of the relationship between the male and femalecharacters in the ancient text, "The Medea" by Euripides and the modern text, "A Doll House" by H. Ibsen.
Abstract This paper examines two texts, one ancient, "The Medea" by Euripides and the other modern, "A Doll House" by H. Ibsen. It looks at the roles of the two femalecharacters - Medea in " The Medea" and Nora in "A Doll House" and discusses how the relationships between the male and the femalecharacters reflect the relationship of the colonizer and the colonized. The paper examines what such a relationship entails and argues that this relationship can be changed only under extreme circumstances, which require a drastic action on the part of the colonized.
From the Paper "Both Medea and Nora have challenged the concept of the passive feminine and the gender roles assigned to men and women within our society. The relationships between the male and the female often resemble the relationship between the colonizers and the colonized. The male/colonizer is active, the female/colonized is passive. The balance of power tips sharply towards the male/colonizer. The female/colonized are often the 'Others'; they are weak, simple creatures that need protection and guardianship, provided by the 'naturally' stronger, dominant male/colonizer. Nora and Medea refused to stay in the roles of the colonized and succeeded in freeing themselves from oppression by taking drastic action. Both however, were punished for it, shunned by the society in which they lived and both lost their children."
Abstract This paper looks at how Sophocles and Homer portrayed their femalecharacters in "Oedipus the King" and the "Odyssey", respectively. The author examines how in both works women display superior qualities and are catalysts for action, but never the equals of men. The paper exhibits the Greek view of women as powerful, strong, necessary testers of heroes, but ultimately lesser creatures.
From the Paper "In both Homer's The "Odyssey" and Sophocles? "Oedipus the King" the role of women is subordinate to the central male figures, as was the norm in Greek Society. Women were expected to follow established roles and Sophocles and Homer made sure that they did. Both works are named for the men who are the heroic focus, but both are structured around women who are essential to the artistic purpose. In The "Odyssey", being much larger in scope, Homer presents a variety of female figures, while in "Oedipus the King" Sophocles offers mainly Jocasta to represent his vision of womankind. The "Odyssey" centers around the travels of a male hero, but it is women who provide the core of his adventures. Odysseus is trying to get home to his beloved woman, after the Trojan War, which was fought over a woman. Athena, a female goddess, literally guides and forms the action. Odysseus is a hero as his journey begins, but the women he meets, enlarge his quest for self knowledge and his heroism. Homer's attitude toward women sometimes seems inconsistent, but he is simply depicting varieties of women in his world."
Abstract The paper explicates the ways in which the female protagonists of "A Rose for Emily" (William Faulkner), "Hindus" (Bharati Mukherjeeand) and "Astronomer's Wife" (Kay Boyle) overcome the stereotypes that society cast on them and the effect it had on them. The author of the paper concludes that the femalecharacters of the above mentioned stories are the direct opposite of the women of their own times.
From the Paper "According to some sources she was a strong, willful woman who after her father's death had completely retreated into her past. What's worth mentioning here is that she was happy being there i.e. in the past. Emily was clearly suffering from denial - she was unable to come to terms with her father's death and then Colonel Sartoris' passing away and so she continued to harbor the illusion that they were still there for her (especially Colonel Sartoris). She refused to let anyone threaten her imaginary world and so remained adamant about taxes when the new Board of Alderman approached her."
This paper compares the three female protagonists in the novels, "Eveline," by James Joyce, "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlette Perkins Gilman and "The Storm," by Kate Chopin.
Abstract This paper analyses three stories - "Eveline", "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Storm", which offer three different types of central femalecharacters. Nonetheless, the three characters have several important common features. The paper states that all three of their stories take place in the same period of time, i.e. late 19th century and early 20th century. This was a time of constraint and hardships for women, who were subjected to the will of their husbands or fathers, and regarded as inferior citizens whose activity outside the home was severely limited. Also, these three women are faced with key events which will alter the course of their lives. And finally, the paper asserts that perhaps the most important aspect they share is their willingness, at least up to a certain point, to challenge social norms and conventions. Moreover, the three protagonists could be seen as three instances of courage and rebellion in patriarchal, conformist societies.
From the Paper "The protagonist is very creative; she loves her husband but also loves her freedom and the connections with the world outside of her home. She does not refuse to fulfill her domestic duties, but wants to be able to express herself creatively as well. Suffering from post partum depression, the protagonist relies precisely on her creative power in order to heal, but her husband, who is also her doctor, prescribes her exactly the opposite, meaning total mental inactivity. This impossibility of self-expression leads her into a world of fantasy that would eventually lead to madness. The fixation with the yellow wallpaper covering the walls of her room soon becomes her escape, a door into a world she imagines, with a woman hiding behind it- a projection of self. Her insanity is a direct result of the fact that she is not allowed to be in control of her mind and emotions; she is ordered to heal according to someone else's perception of life and what is normal. Her condition as a woman in society keeps her from living the life she longs for and from fulfilling her needs as a writer; she is confined to her role as society envisions it, i.e. of wife and mother, trapped in the domestic universe."
Abstract In this paper, I analyze the three main femalecharacters of "The Great Gatsby": Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson. I attempt to show how each represented the materialism and shallow nature of the upper classes during 1920s America. I point out how the characters are similar in that they are self-centered, careless and have little self-respect.
Abstract Discusses the leading character of Hedda in Henrick Ibsen's play, "Hedda Gabler", and of Germaine, in Michel Tremblay's "Les Belles Soeurs." Examines how both women are recognizable types in bourgeois culture and how each deals with her given role.
From the Paper "This research examines the leading female characters in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and Tramblay's Les Belles Soeurs. The plan is to compare and contrast the respective responses of Hedda and Germaine to the cultural mandate that women are guardians of the ..."
Abstract An analysis of the characters of Nora Helmer from "A Doll's House" and Elizabeth Rousset from "Ball of Fat". It explains how they are in complete opposite ends of the social spectrum, yet they make similar "sacrifices" and suffer the consequences that contribute to their realizations about themselves and those that they made the sacrifices for.
From the Paper "In A Doll's House, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen reveals the story of Nora Helmer, a woman who having secretly borrowed money from Nils Krogstad, is now facing a dilemma when her husband becomes newly appointed director at the bank, and is preparing to fire Krogstad for forging his signature on a document. Nora in turn had forged her father's signature to get the loan from Krogstad, and when he threatens to reveal her crime, she must try and influence her husband not to fire Krogstad. Not realizing that Nora borrowed the 250 pounds for him when he was suffering and needed to go to a southern climate to recuperate. Her husband Torvald is ready to disown her when he learns of the truth despite her reasoning and once things are resolved between them and with the bank, Nora realizes that her husband is not worth it and decides to leave him "when the wonderful thing did not happen, then I saw you were not the man I had thought you" (Act III)."
Abstract Femalecharacters using their sexuality to achieve what they want in Hollywood films is a strategy that is used over and over again by film makers. The paper shows that while many movies use the same basic themes when it comes to female sexuality, there are some variances from the norm. This paper discusses different forms of female sexuality as they appear in three Hollywood films, "The Ice Storm", "Boys Don't Cry" and "Thelma and Louise". From these movies three specific characters are studied: Wendy Hood, Brandon Teena and Thelma, respectively. The paper shows that these three women all represent female sexuality differently. They don't all fit the stereotypes of women that other movies tend to portray. Although there are some similarities between the three characters, the portrayals vary as to how the characters use their sexuality and femininity and it is these differences the paper examines.
From the Paper "Another similarity between the movies is that they all portray women who are struggling with something. Whether it's coming of age, sexual identity, or a discovery of who they really are, all three women have something very important going on in their lives that they must deal with. Brandon Teena has the largest problem to handle of the three selected women, but Wendy and Thelma must struggle with their own beliefs and actions as well. The actions of others that directly affect each of the women must also be dealt with."
