Essay 3 (2 hour Draft)

The ‘fifties were comprised of anxiety and a desire for security. Strengthening traditional gender roles and family values brought about these facades of security. In this manner, domesticity became key to the growing suburbia that had begun springing up throughout the United States. Movies represented this conformity of glorified domestic standards while also revealing the countercurrents of youth culture. But, all of the women show the standards of their generation.
“Splendor in the Grass” is the love story between teenage girl Deanie and high school basketball star Bud. While Deanie’s mom doesn’t support the desires that her daughter feels toward the boy, she is eager for the wealth in oil his father owned. Despite the sexual frustrations between both Deanie and Bud, the girl remained amiable. She promises to love Bud dearly, and is willing to give anything and everything to him if he asked. When it comes to sexual relations, however, she is somewhat hesitant. Even though she wants, and later craves, sexual release she is torn between her love for Bud and societal standards at that time. After Bud sleeps with the flapper, Wilma Dean has fallen into depression, it takes months for her to be willing to step out of the house and let society see her again. Attempting to become a woman that Bud would offer sexual release to, when denied Deanie attempted suicide before she was sent to a mental institution. After her insanity, she realizes she can’t lust after Bud and finds a new love, knowing she can’t accept her young love.
Nancy, from “Attack of the 50-foot Woman,” wanted the security of love. Far from the need for bodily desires, the high society woman was in love with her husband, Harry, even after he had cheated on her. When Harry can’t give her the love and support she needs, she turns to drinking. When she finds the landed satellite with the resident knight of an alien, no one believes her because of a past trip to a mental institution, due to Harry’s intrusion in her life. Desperately, she needs Harry’s support in proving that she really saw the alien, needing no one’s acceptance but his. Whenever she cried it out was for Harry, but in the end she screamed at him in rage. Realizing her husband no longer loved her, Nancy set out to kill Honey and Harry, sick of not being loved.
Lack of love for Lisa Fremont was more a lack of attention that anything. In the movie “Rear Window,” Lisa was a high society woman who never wore the same clothes twice. Desperately in love with Jeff, the near broke journalist photographer with a broken leg, she wanted to marry him. However, he wasn’t ready to accept her, even while Nancy was willing to do anything for him. When Jeff tells her about the salesman, Lisa suddenly becomes interested. More than a relationship saved from the grave, the spying allowed Lisa to show her willingness to go above and beyond for him. As far as going into Mr. Thorwald’s apartment and getting captured by him, Lisa shows her love for Jeff. At the end scene, after Jeff has fallen asleep, she puts down the book Beyond the High Himalayas to pick up her Bazaar magazine.
All of these women reflect the gender norms of the fifties. With greater domesticity, women’s obedience to one man and one man alone is the greatest form of love. Sometimes, they can be driven to insanity because of their ‘unstable’ emotions and desires. It was unacceptable for women to desire sex; instead such was a job for the men and whores. Due to these societal standards, men can’t always attain sexual satisfaction they need. As thus, affairs often transpired. Only married couples could have sex, good girls don’t want premarital affairs.
Women show the standards of the society in the fifties. There was much anxiety, and it was exemplified in women. Deanie suffered from sexual frustration that led to eventual insanity. Nancy was an alcoholic who wanted love. Lisa simply wanted marriage. All three devoted themselves to one man, sometimes pushing him away and sometimes bringing him closer. In the end, the all loved, no matter how twisted it became.