In all the three movies, namely Roster Cogburn, High Noon and the Ballad of Little Jo we see women emerging as much stronger and having a major role in the movies. In the initial western, women were always sidelined in the movies; the entire emphasis was on the male character. The only job that women had was to look after all the needs of the cowboy and help them and assist them.
We saw a bit of a transition in the movie “The man who shot Liberty Valance”; but that was nothing in compared to what we see in these three movies.
In the movie Little Jo we see how Josephine, who sleeps with a photographer, is removed from her town. She does not lose hope or gives up like one would think traditional women would do. She fights for herself, make a new image of her, learns to live life her way.
In the movie high noon, the two strong characters are Helen Ramirez, and Amy Kane. They stand up for what they feel is right. If they feel that their husband is wrong they don’t sit back quietly doing nothing. They stand up and fight. If they know that someone has done wrong with their husband, they are not afraid to stand up and fight for them.
Tompkins states that, women are no good when it comes to fighting. All they do is follow what men tell them to do, and they cannot stand up for themselves. We see that in these movies the scene has completely changed. We can surely assume that these changes in the movies are due to the civil rights movement for the women. The increasing power of women, the change in social status of women at that point of time.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Women in Westerns
Jane Tompkins wrote, "when it comes to the relations between men and women, the Western doesn't aim to communicate at all" (Tompkins 61). Women in westerns are typically seen as accessories to the cowboy's goals and reflect the inferiority of the alpha-male, which is what the man strives to withhold. However, in High Noon, Rooster Cogburn, and The Ballod of Little Jo, the role of the alpha-female is increased and the woman is portrayed in a powerful manner. Reasons for the rise of feminism in westerns can be associated with the events that occurred in the time period they were made in.
Helen Ramirez and Amy Kane in High Noon may have been the first women in Westerns to push forward the feminist movement. Helen is not afraid to leave her husband and start a new life out west, while Amy actually saves the protagonists life in the end, proving herself strong. This type of behavior is very atypical for women in Westerns. Tompkins asserts, "(A woman) sees herself as he sees her, silly, blathering on about manly business that is none of her concern, and beneath it all really asking for sex" (Tompkins 61). It is evident in High Noon that the strong females break away from their traditional role to represent a more powerful breed of women. This film was created in 1952, shortly the end of WWII. Women took on increased roles in as workers factories, assuming the jobs of their husbands who were shipped off to war. The U.S. economy relied heavily on women, and this was greatly reflected in High Noon when the women save the day.
Jane Tompkins also wrote that women "may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble." Eula Goodnight, in Rooster Cogburn, however, does not fold under pressure. She follows Rooster to avenge her father's death and proves to be independent and powerful. She can even handle a gun. This film was created 8 years after the civil rights act, and the equal rights amendment, both of which opened up opportunities for women. Again, these new roles are exemplified through Eula Goodnight.
Little Jo is definitely the best example of a woman taking on a deeper role. Josephine dressing up like a man and taking on his role symbolizes that a woman can do anything a man can. This is a drastic statement regarding the importance of equality. Jo runs away alone, fights off sex-obsessed men, and learns practical tasks, normally associated with a man. In the end, when the paper shows, "Rancher Jo was a Woman," it is obvious that there is much bewilderment and leaves the viewer assuming people realize the aftermath. Clearly, women have come a long way since 1952 and in 1993, with women in almost every power position.
Clearly, the role of women has expanded since the dawn of the Western. High Noon, Rooster Cogburn, and the Ballod of Little Jo are three significant examples of cultural reflections in Hollywood.
Helen Ramirez and Amy Kane in High Noon may have been the first women in Westerns to push forward the feminist movement. Helen is not afraid to leave her husband and start a new life out west, while Amy actually saves the protagonists life in the end, proving herself strong. This type of behavior is very atypical for women in Westerns. Tompkins asserts, "(A woman) sees herself as he sees her, silly, blathering on about manly business that is none of her concern, and beneath it all really asking for sex" (Tompkins 61). It is evident in High Noon that the strong females break away from their traditional role to represent a more powerful breed of women. This film was created in 1952, shortly the end of WWII. Women took on increased roles in as workers factories, assuming the jobs of their husbands who were shipped off to war. The U.S. economy relied heavily on women, and this was greatly reflected in High Noon when the women save the day.
Jane Tompkins also wrote that women "may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble." Eula Goodnight, in Rooster Cogburn, however, does not fold under pressure. She follows Rooster to avenge her father's death and proves to be independent and powerful. She can even handle a gun. This film was created 8 years after the civil rights act, and the equal rights amendment, both of which opened up opportunities for women. Again, these new roles are exemplified through Eula Goodnight.
Little Jo is definitely the best example of a woman taking on a deeper role. Josephine dressing up like a man and taking on his role symbolizes that a woman can do anything a man can. This is a drastic statement regarding the importance of equality. Jo runs away alone, fights off sex-obsessed men, and learns practical tasks, normally associated with a man. In the end, when the paper shows, "Rancher Jo was a Woman," it is obvious that there is much bewilderment and leaves the viewer assuming people realize the aftermath. Clearly, women have come a long way since 1952 and in 1993, with women in almost every power position.
Clearly, the role of women has expanded since the dawn of the Western. High Noon, Rooster Cogburn, and the Ballod of Little Jo are three significant examples of cultural reflections in Hollywood.
Blog #4 - Rooster Cogburn/ High Noon/ Little Jo
High Noon (1952), Rooster Cogburn (1975), and The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) are films that represent the changing status of and attitudes towards women. The main female characters are different, but each are contrasted with their environment, representing how these women represent progress towards the modern day woman.
In High Noon, the main character, Will Kane marries a Quaker woman named Amy Fowler. Kane is the marshal of the town for one more day, and on this day, Frank Miller, a killer he put in jail years ago, has returned seeking revenge. As a powerful male figure, Kane accepts his duty to the people of Hadleyville to remain and face near certain death. Kane has no diplomatic intentions, and knows that the only way to settle the dispute is through the law of the gun. Amy, a pacifist by religion, has seen her father and brother die because of guns. Amy does not understand Kane's decision to stay and fight Miller and his sidekicks. She chooses to leave Kane behind and to take the twelve o'clock train out of Hadleyville, the same time Miller will be arriving. As Tompkins explains: "... a set of oppositions [are] fundamental to the way the Western thinks about the world. There are two choices: either you can remain in a world of illusions, by which is understood religion, culture, and class distinctions... or you can face life as it really is -- blood, death, a cold wind blowing, and a gun in the hand (48)." Amy's decision to protect Kane and join him in the gun fight symbolizes the beginning of the women's equality movement. By facing life as it really is, Amy establishes herself as a masculine woman,who Kane and the town of Hadleyville then see in a new light.
In Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne also plays a classic western sheriff, a man who shoots first and asks questions later. For this reason, the town judge removes his tin badge but gives Wayne's character Rooster Cogburn an ultimatum; if he chases down and brings the notorious criminal Breed to justice, his badge will be returned to him. During his pursuit of Breed, Cogburn arrives in Fort Ruby to find that Breed and his gang of criminals have already killed many members of the Indian residents. He finds a woman and an Indian boy and learns that the woman, Eula Goodnight, is the daughter of a reverend who was killed in the attack. After bringing Eula and the Indian boy, Wolf, to safety, Cogburn leaves to pursue Breed further. Eula and Wolf buy supplies and insist on joining Cogburn. For the rest of the film, the developing relationship between Cogburn and Goodnight is in the limelight. Goodnight uses language to break down Cogburn's stout introversion. Tompkins clarifies: "Drawing on Octavio Paz's definition of the macho as a 'hermetic being, closed up in himself' ("women are inferior beings because, in submitting, they open themselves up")". She continues, "Schwenger shows... ' it is by talking... that one opens up to another person and becomes vulnerable. It is by putting words to an emotion that it becomes feminized.'(56)" By engaging Cogburn in conversation throughout their journey, Goodnight breaks down Cogburn's defenses and begins to appreciate his masculinity and understand why he is the man he is. By 1975, when Rooster Cogburn was released, the second wave of the feminist movement was in full stride and while the second wave failed to establish that women had the same rights as men, it established that men needed to respect women as partners, not as a second sex. While Goodnight is still not quite equal to Cogburn by the end of the film, the two understand that there are gains to be had from having a mutual respect between them.
The Ballad of Little Jo tells the story of a woman choosing to pose as a man in order to escape both her past and the poor treatment women receive in the west during the 1880s. She creates a new life for herself in which the town respects her as a sheep herder. However, society only respects her because they believe she is a man; in scenes where Jo's true identity is found out, the male members of the scenes have a severely negative response and even express feelings of betrayal. When Jo is forced to fight against representatives from a cattle company who want to buy all the land in the area, it remains clear to the audience that she isn't as emotionally comfortable of killing others, even in the face of death. When she kills the two gun men, she struggles with the emotional consequences. Despite of this, she is established as the hero in the film and the citizens of Ruby City respect her as they would any man. In one of the last scenes, the citizens of Ruby City and Jo's friends discover that she was a woman after she dies. Her friends are angry and feel betrayed as if Jo played them. In the 1990's, despite women being established as equal to men, there still existed large amounts of prejudice in the workplace and in American society. The Ballad of Little Jo shows that women are just as capable of making a tough living as men, and that the reasons for prejudice against women lack depth and objectivity.
In High Noon, the main character, Will Kane marries a Quaker woman named Amy Fowler. Kane is the marshal of the town for one more day, and on this day, Frank Miller, a killer he put in jail years ago, has returned seeking revenge. As a powerful male figure, Kane accepts his duty to the people of Hadleyville to remain and face near certain death. Kane has no diplomatic intentions, and knows that the only way to settle the dispute is through the law of the gun. Amy, a pacifist by religion, has seen her father and brother die because of guns. Amy does not understand Kane's decision to stay and fight Miller and his sidekicks. She chooses to leave Kane behind and to take the twelve o'clock train out of Hadleyville, the same time Miller will be arriving. As Tompkins explains: "... a set of oppositions [are] fundamental to the way the Western thinks about the world. There are two choices: either you can remain in a world of illusions, by which is understood religion, culture, and class distinctions... or you can face life as it really is -- blood, death, a cold wind blowing, and a gun in the hand (48)." Amy's decision to protect Kane and join him in the gun fight symbolizes the beginning of the women's equality movement. By facing life as it really is, Amy establishes herself as a masculine woman,who Kane and the town of Hadleyville then see in a new light.
In Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne also plays a classic western sheriff, a man who shoots first and asks questions later. For this reason, the town judge removes his tin badge but gives Wayne's character Rooster Cogburn an ultimatum; if he chases down and brings the notorious criminal Breed to justice, his badge will be returned to him. During his pursuit of Breed, Cogburn arrives in Fort Ruby to find that Breed and his gang of criminals have already killed many members of the Indian residents. He finds a woman and an Indian boy and learns that the woman, Eula Goodnight, is the daughter of a reverend who was killed in the attack. After bringing Eula and the Indian boy, Wolf, to safety, Cogburn leaves to pursue Breed further. Eula and Wolf buy supplies and insist on joining Cogburn. For the rest of the film, the developing relationship between Cogburn and Goodnight is in the limelight. Goodnight uses language to break down Cogburn's stout introversion. Tompkins clarifies: "Drawing on Octavio Paz's definition of the macho as a 'hermetic being, closed up in himself' ("women are inferior beings because, in submitting, they open themselves up")". She continues, "Schwenger shows... ' it is by talking... that one opens up to another person and becomes vulnerable. It is by putting words to an emotion that it becomes feminized.'(56)" By engaging Cogburn in conversation throughout their journey, Goodnight breaks down Cogburn's defenses and begins to appreciate his masculinity and understand why he is the man he is. By 1975, when Rooster Cogburn was released, the second wave of the feminist movement was in full stride and while the second wave failed to establish that women had the same rights as men, it established that men needed to respect women as partners, not as a second sex. While Goodnight is still not quite equal to Cogburn by the end of the film, the two understand that there are gains to be had from having a mutual respect between them.
The Ballad of Little Jo tells the story of a woman choosing to pose as a man in order to escape both her past and the poor treatment women receive in the west during the 1880s. She creates a new life for herself in which the town respects her as a sheep herder. However, society only respects her because they believe she is a man; in scenes where Jo's true identity is found out, the male members of the scenes have a severely negative response and even express feelings of betrayal. When Jo is forced to fight against representatives from a cattle company who want to buy all the land in the area, it remains clear to the audience that she isn't as emotionally comfortable of killing others, even in the face of death. When she kills the two gun men, she struggles with the emotional consequences. Despite of this, she is established as the hero in the film and the citizens of Ruby City respect her as they would any man. In one of the last scenes, the citizens of Ruby City and Jo's friends discover that she was a woman after she dies. Her friends are angry and feel betrayed as if Jo played them. In the 1990's, despite women being established as equal to men, there still existed large amounts of prejudice in the workplace and in American society. The Ballad of Little Jo shows that women are just as capable of making a tough living as men, and that the reasons for prejudice against women lack depth and objectivity.
High Noon, Rooster Cogburn, and Little Jo
It is apparent in the three movies High Noon, Rooster Cogburn, and Little Jo that the woman is emergining as a stronger character in Western films than ever before. Previously, the woman led a minor role in Western films, simply being the motivation behinid the cowboy's actions, never contributing much to thte sequence of events.
The film High Noon, filmed in 1952 begins the transformation of the woman's roel in Western films. There are two prominent women characters in this film, Helen Ramirez, and Amy Kane. Helen Ramirez leaves her husband when she finds out he told Marshall Will Kane about thier relationship, she stands up for herself and is not afraid to leave town and start a new life somewhere else. Amy Kane at first epitomizes the woman normally seen in Western films, until she meets Helen, who convinces Amy to return to town and help her husband Will. When she does, she ends up saving Will's life by shooting and kiling one of his attackers. This change in the role of women in this film, may have been affected by the Civil Rights movement which was right around the corner. Womena dn other minority groups were gathering support for equal rights, which influenced this film to gie women a stronger role to reflect the way the world was changing.
Rooster Cogburn, filmed in 1975 demonstrates an even stronger female role. The Civil Rights Act had already been in place for many years, and the woman's role in the household, and the workplace had changed since the forties and fifties. The change is represented in this film through the character of Eula Goodnight. Tomkins state, "[Women] may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resouceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble," (61) which is not the case whith Eula's character. Rooster Cogburn is on a mission to arrest an outlaw who is moving through the west, terrorizing any settlements he rides through. One settlement Cogburn arrives at, he meets Eula who insists on joining cogburn on his journey, because she wishes to avenge her father's death. As the alpha male cowboy, cogburn immediately denies her demand to acccompnay him, claiming htat this journey is no place for a woman. However, Eula follows cogburn and ends up journeying with him, and proves that she is a strong enough woman to endure the hardships. She surprises Cogburn by her skills with handling a gun, and being able to fend for herself. She ialso is not afraid to voice her opinion whenever she sees necessary. Eula is a very strong female character who does not conform to the usual role of women out west.
The film Little Jo, created in 1993, shows a complete turn around in the role of woemn from previous Western films. Josephine is banished from her house and her town for sleeping with the photographer. In order to escape this, she dresses herself as a man and move into a new town. She makes a new life for herself, etablished as a male. She learns to use a gun, mine for gold, herd sheep, create a settlement, and live on her own. Tompkins state, "The temperance ladies talk and talk, that is all they do. It never comes to shooting. Meanwhile they drive their husbands crazy with their cackle," (64). Here, Tompkins gives the impression that women are only good for talking and driving their husbands crazy. Joesphine's character goes against all of this by successfully making a life for herself in a man's world. This change is due tothe time period the film was made. In 1993, women had come a long way since 1940, and women holding respectful jobs became the norm.
The film High Noon, filmed in 1952 begins the transformation of the woman's roel in Western films. There are two prominent women characters in this film, Helen Ramirez, and Amy Kane. Helen Ramirez leaves her husband when she finds out he told Marshall Will Kane about thier relationship, she stands up for herself and is not afraid to leave town and start a new life somewhere else. Amy Kane at first epitomizes the woman normally seen in Western films, until she meets Helen, who convinces Amy to return to town and help her husband Will. When she does, she ends up saving Will's life by shooting and kiling one of his attackers. This change in the role of women in this film, may have been affected by the Civil Rights movement which was right around the corner. Womena dn other minority groups were gathering support for equal rights, which influenced this film to gie women a stronger role to reflect the way the world was changing.
Rooster Cogburn, filmed in 1975 demonstrates an even stronger female role. The Civil Rights Act had already been in place for many years, and the woman's role in the household, and the workplace had changed since the forties and fifties. The change is represented in this film through the character of Eula Goodnight. Tomkins state, "[Women] may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resouceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble," (61) which is not the case whith Eula's character. Rooster Cogburn is on a mission to arrest an outlaw who is moving through the west, terrorizing any settlements he rides through. One settlement Cogburn arrives at, he meets Eula who insists on joining cogburn on his journey, because she wishes to avenge her father's death. As the alpha male cowboy, cogburn immediately denies her demand to acccompnay him, claiming htat this journey is no place for a woman. However, Eula follows cogburn and ends up journeying with him, and proves that she is a strong enough woman to endure the hardships. She surprises Cogburn by her skills with handling a gun, and being able to fend for herself. She ialso is not afraid to voice her opinion whenever she sees necessary. Eula is a very strong female character who does not conform to the usual role of women out west.
The film Little Jo, created in 1993, shows a complete turn around in the role of woemn from previous Western films. Josephine is banished from her house and her town for sleeping with the photographer. In order to escape this, she dresses herself as a man and move into a new town. She makes a new life for herself, etablished as a male. She learns to use a gun, mine for gold, herd sheep, create a settlement, and live on her own. Tompkins state, "The temperance ladies talk and talk, that is all they do. It never comes to shooting. Meanwhile they drive their husbands crazy with their cackle," (64). Here, Tompkins gives the impression that women are only good for talking and driving their husbands crazy. Joesphine's character goes against all of this by successfully making a life for herself in a man's world. This change is due tothe time period the film was made. In 1993, women had come a long way since 1940, and women holding respectful jobs became the norm.
Rooster Cogburn/High Noon/The Ballad of Little Jo
The movies Rooster Cogburn, High Noon, and The Ballad of Little Jo all show very strong women. However the time period in which the movies was made also reflects the progression of how we view the role of women in our society.
In High Noon the bravery and strength of Amy is shown when she saves Will’s life at the end of the movie by killing Colby. However this movie reflects the view of the time period by perpetuating certain roles of women. When criminals show up in town to kill Will Amy states that she will leave her husband if decides to stay and fight them. Will would rather stay and fight and maybe die rather than run away. When Amy talks with Helen about her intentions to leave Helen scolds her. She says that she should stand by her husband. The idea behind this aspect of the movie is that a wife is supposed to stand by her husband and her husband’s decisions and that her opinion is second to his.
Rooster Cogburn, made in 1975 23 years after High Noon, shows an acceptance of a much stronger and independent women. Though the whole movie Ms Goodnight continues to surprise Rooster with her strength in defending herself. When they first encounter the thieves Rooster instructs her to hide and basically serve as a distraction. When Rooster life is in danger she impress’ him with her gun skills and saves his life. This movie shows the progression in how we view women in our society but it also shows a lingering belief of a different role for women in our society. This is implied when rooster starts to ask Ms Goodnight about her ability to cook and clean implying that he respects her strength but she also needs to fit the womanly role.
The Movie The Ballad of Little Jo made in 1993 made a giant leap away from the traditional westerns. This is very evident when Tinman moves in with Jo. There is a complete gender role reversal. Tinman cooks, cleans, bakes, does laundry and mends clothing. Jo tends to the cattle, builds the shelter and provides for them. This movie shows the progression of how we view the roles of women in our society. This movie also makes a powerful statement about how we view one another. When gender and race are taken out of sight it completely changes how we view people. This is evident when Tinman says to Jo, “You are a free white man now and someday soon you will even vote.”
In High Noon the bravery and strength of Amy is shown when she saves Will’s life at the end of the movie by killing Colby. However this movie reflects the view of the time period by perpetuating certain roles of women. When criminals show up in town to kill Will Amy states that she will leave her husband if decides to stay and fight them. Will would rather stay and fight and maybe die rather than run away. When Amy talks with Helen about her intentions to leave Helen scolds her. She says that she should stand by her husband. The idea behind this aspect of the movie is that a wife is supposed to stand by her husband and her husband’s decisions and that her opinion is second to his.
Rooster Cogburn, made in 1975 23 years after High Noon, shows an acceptance of a much stronger and independent women. Though the whole movie Ms Goodnight continues to surprise Rooster with her strength in defending herself. When they first encounter the thieves Rooster instructs her to hide and basically serve as a distraction. When Rooster life is in danger she impress’ him with her gun skills and saves his life. This movie shows the progression in how we view women in our society but it also shows a lingering belief of a different role for women in our society. This is implied when rooster starts to ask Ms Goodnight about her ability to cook and clean implying that he respects her strength but she also needs to fit the womanly role.
The Movie The Ballad of Little Jo made in 1993 made a giant leap away from the traditional westerns. This is very evident when Tinman moves in with Jo. There is a complete gender role reversal. Tinman cooks, cleans, bakes, does laundry and mends clothing. Jo tends to the cattle, builds the shelter and provides for them. This movie shows the progression of how we view the roles of women in our society. This movie also makes a powerful statement about how we view one another. When gender and race are taken out of sight it completely changes how we view people. This is evident when Tinman says to Jo, “You are a free white man now and someday soon you will even vote.”
Monday, March 1, 2010
Red River
The film, Red River, clearly depicts a power struggle between the two dominant males, Tom Dunson and Mathew Garth. As the two men clash throughout the movie, they both depict strong authoritative attitudes. However, the assumption that it is a battle between opposing alpha male cowboys must not be made without further examination.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Rooster Cogburn/High Noon/ Little Jo
Although the three films provide rich content for cultural studies on many subjects, you are to concentrate on the changing status of/attitudes toward women by using Tompkins's analysis of women in classic westerns as a base line. Be sure to support your assertions with examples from the films and quotations from Tompkins to demonstrate the differences.
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