In West of Everything, Jane Tompkins recognizes the role of women in the traditional western. She contends Women are the talkative types, who appear strong at first, but in the end, they fold, and their weakness is realized. For example, Tompkins argues women are weakened in the end of most films, "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" (61). This idea is seen especially in Wayne's Western. The women begin expressing their mind, and appearing to be strong, but when the action begins, they are nowhere to be found. This is typically found in most westerns as mentioned by Tompkins, but this is not the case in High Noon or The Ballad of Little Jo.
Firstly, Fred Zinneman's film High Noon demonstrates a strong willed woman, who in the end outperformed all but the alpha male cowboy. Throughout the film she stood by her beliefs, as weak as they made her, until she shot the man to save her husband. This is a masculine trait, which the women adopted, thereby empowering herself, albeit through becoming masculine. This is contradictory to Tompkins belief. Women are able to become strong, which conflicts with Tompkins. Having said that, the only way in which a woman may be strong is by becoming masculine. The Quaker in High Noon was not able to stand by her beliefs and be strong, she must submit to being masculine before she achieves her strength. Similarly, in The Ballad of Little Jo, the character comes to this same realization. In order for her to become strong, and make it, she must attempt to disguise herself as masculine. While in both instances, it is in fact a woman who is strong, which contradicts Tompkins, they must become masculine in order to do so.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ryan L High Noon/Little Jo
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Some would argue all women in classic westerns are weak and pointless. In West of Everything, Jane Tompkins argues the role of women in the traditional western. She contends Women are the talkative types, who appear strong at first, but in the end, they fold, and their weakness is realized. For example, Tompkins argues women are weakened in the end of most films, "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" (61). This idea is seen especially in Wayne's Western. The women begin expressing their mind, and appearing to be strong, but when the action begins, they are nowhere to be found. However, this is not the case in all westerns.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, Fred Zinneman's film High Noon demonstrates a strong willed woman, who in the end outperformed all but the alpha male cowboy. Throughout the film she stood by her beliefs, as weak as they made her, until she shot the man to save her husband. This is a masculine trait, which the women adopted, thereby empowering herself, albeit through becoming masculine. Furthermore, Helen Ramirez owns her own business, while standing up to any man in the film. This immigrant was not only a women, but one of the strongest characters in the film. This is contradictory to Tompkins belief. Women are able to become strong, which conflicts with Tompkins. Having said that, the only way in which a woman may be strong is by becoming masculine. The Quaker in High Noon was not able to stand by her beliefs and be strong, she must submit to being masculine before she achieves her strength. Similarly, in The Ballad of Little Jo, the character comes to this same realization. In order for her to become strong, and make it, she must attempt to disguise herself as masculine. While in both instances, it is in fact a woman who is strong, which contradicts Tompkins, they must become masculine in order to do so, because the western defines strength as being masculine.