Women Through Movies in the 'Fifties

‘Fifties society had been comprised of a sheer desire for security. The resulting fortification regarding traditional gender roles and family values brought about facades of protection for those who felt themselves defenseless against the threat of nuclear war. Soon, domesticity became key in the prosperity of suburbia throughout the United States, wherein movies were able to represent the conformity of sanctified domestic standards. In the movies watched in class, the three characters Deani, Nancy, and Lisa all represent the gender norms of the 1950s, all while battling various aspects brought on by the countercurrents of youth and sexual relations. America was able to further glorify domestic standards of the fifties.

As a teenager, Deanie’s character suffered through rapid, turnabout changes. Amiable and well liked, Wilma Dean from “Splendor in the Grass” first devotes herself to Bud Stamper’s happiness. At the beginning of the movie, Deanie decrees that she would do whatever he wished of her, simply because she loved him so much, and no matter what he asked she promised to obey. Due to her “love” for him, she promised to wait four years while Bud made the decision to attend Yale. Before she challenged the standards of society to become a flapper, she was ultimately wary of what the neighborhood thought of her, as she always had been. Sexual frustration soon led to her attempts at suicide, even though she had obeyed the oppressive societal standards of being pure until marriage. After all, Deanie’s mother had lectured her that nice girls don’t touch until they were married, and even then didn’t enjoy sex as its only purpose was procreation. From these niceties of meeting domestic standards to becoming a flapper, Deanie suffers through a change in her personality.

While Nancy’s personality doesn’t exactly change, her physical appearance surely does. At first glance, Nancy from “Attack of the 50-foot Woman” appears to be a crazy alcoholic. With her material needs far beyond met, Nancy never had to work or struggle to gain anything – which could arguably be a part of her mental issues to begin with. Although she lived in the lap of luxury, Harry was not meeting her emotional needs, even though she devoted herself to him. She soon came to realize that he did not love her, perhaps had never loved her, and was driven down into a severe state of depression. This misery caused by clinging and staying with the man after her money led to her alcoholism. Between the alcohol and her crumbling relationship, she lost credibility in the town she lived. When the sheriff and townspeople do not believe her, the only one she wanted to show the truth to had been Harry, trying to make him see she was not crazy. However, after her radiation poisoning, Nancy was driven mad from the coldness Harry showed her. As a giant, Nancy took her revenge upon the town, Honey, and Harry. Her transformation from a loved-confused woman to a fifty-foot “monster” marked the growing frustrations she had about her relationship.

Frustration continued to be a factor in the relationships of these women. Lisa Fremont from “Rear Window” resides as a wealthy woman in the high tides of fashion. No matter what the cost, she has the talent to attain whatever object she desires nearly instantaneously, such as a new outfit everyday. Having this capacity of wealth makes the stagnation of Lisa and Jeff’s relationship all the more frustrating for her, especially when the viewer realizes Jeff is as stubborn about his opinion as Lisa is about hers. When Jeffrey remains condemned in his apartment with a broken leg, Ms. Fremont first attempted to make his life the most comfortable and romantic as it could be before his cast was removed. Unfortunately, to please Jeff she would need to head out of her bailiwick, especially when he started to ignore her advances. By the end of the movie, Lisa has learned how to please Jeff through subjugating her own happiness. Though some actions seemed small compared to breaking into Mr. Tulford’s apartment, putting down Beyond the High Himalayas to pick up her Bazaar magazine actively shows the little changes she starts making for her lover. Suppressing one’s happiness for their man was common for women of the era.

Each of these women represents the common conformist themes regarding gender roles in the fifties. Most prominent of these themes was women staying home and taking care of the children, wherein they were supposed to deal with the issues of home life with a smile and undying love to the only man in her life: her husband. Each of the women showed also their devotion to only one man in their lives. Deanie loved Bud before she was pushed too far over the edge, Nancy needed Harry to continue surviving, and Lisa wanted to marry Jeff not matter what he argued. At the time, nice girls can only love one man and one man alone, even if he cheats on them. This obsessive love that these women felt sometimes made them irrational, to the point of double homicide and suicide. Love such as this echoed the ideal that a woman should devote herself to one man for eternity, and shouldn’t lust after him. No character questioned her roles as a lover or housewife, the woman simply conformed to the ideals of her society.

Women reveal the merciless gender standards of ‘fifties society. The anxiety of the era was exemplified in movies regarding 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, they all loved, no matter how twisted it became.

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.