Portrayal of Social Class and Gender in Wanda

Sociology refers to study of the human social relationships along with its institutions. Sociology helps in analysing significant matters in relation to our personal lives (Haskell 2016). This essay analyses the difference between the social classes and the genders in the two films. It states how the surrounding community has been depicted in the movies and the conflict that exists between the genders in the movies. It also states how the Bourdieu’s thoughts in relation to social capital can be applied to the movies Wanda and Amelie.

Wanda is revealed as an estranged body that is in motion who keeps wandering through the city streets. The figure of Wanda was shown as being decentred within the film frame and her view was blocked by her surroundings. This goes on to show that the character of Wanda was dominated by her social environment. With the help of Wanda, Loden portrays a woman who does not have any kind of space and she cannot make her own space. Wanda is denied any kind of privacy or that of intimacy that shows her inferior position within the social environment (Haider, Nawaz and Habib 2017). On the other hand, the movie Amelia portrays the ambitions of a woman and her character was a contribution to that of the post-suffrage equality of the women. Amelia Earhart was able to break down the barriers and she served like a role model for many women. The accomplishments of Amelia Earhart were not only personal achievement but they were feats that were lauded by other women in the society. Earhart was able to gain fame for the aviation exploits and she helped in creating a new vision of the women within the social structure. Earhart was able to exceed societal expectations along with norms of the women. She could inspire transformation within the societal attitudes. Her character exudes power and she believed in the fact that all the women should be given the opportunity for proving their competence. The bar owner Mr Dennis and the character of Wanda has been shown in the film as passive and locked in. It portrays the subordinate position afforded to the lower classes in the society (Coyne et al. 2016). On the other hand the movie Amelia shows the superior position of the people by portraying people belonging to higher social order.

The character of Wanda is overlooked by other people within the community and she is avoided and unacknowledged by the society around her. Wanda is not visible to the community around her and her place was at the thresholds. Her place was in the office doorways, domestic windows and the car doors that goes on to show the subordinate position relegated to the women in the society. Amelia was recruited by the publishing tycoon and her eventual husband that reveals the support that the character got from the people around her. It helped her in creating a professional position within the social structure (Han et al. 2015). With the help of support from the community she was able to get into limelight and became a women pilot in her time. Amelia fell in love with Putnam and they eventually got married. Amelia made a record in the year 1932 and flew solo across that of the Atlantic Ocean. In the event of returning to the United States, Amelia was honoured with the Distinguished Flying Cross that was awarded to her for her heroism and extraordinary achievement (Clover 2015).

Portrayal of Social Class and Gender in Amelia

There is a conflict in terms of the role that is played by the genders in the movie. Wanda is shown in the movie as stumbling around the hometown and drinking throughout the day. The only thing Wanda worries about is regarding who would buy her the next drink. This shows that the women figures in the society were at the mercy of the surrounding society around them and had to rely on them for the fulfilment of their wishes (Huang 2015). The character of Dennis provides purpose in the life of Wanda however he slowly starts dominating her life. He drained her of the autonomy of her life and wanted her to act like a lady. The relationship between the male and female gender was thus dependent on the authoritative male notions in the society. Amelia on the other hand reveals the support that the titular character got from her husband and the society to emerge as the winner of Distinguished Flying Cross that helped her in getting a position in the society.

There are differences between the movies in relation to the structural perspectives. The main character Wanda is portrayed as being at the mercy of the society specially the men around them. They were controlling the life of the girl and were dominating her life. The movie Amelia does not reveal any kind of conflict between the male and the female character as her cause was supported by the people in her surrounding community (Osgood et al. 2017). Bourdieu’s thoughts in relation to social capital is evident in the movies Wanda and Amelie. The movie Wanda projects cheap wood, ramshackle house and grim hotel room that reveals the dark fate of the titular character. On the other hand, the economic capital that Amelia amassed with the help of her profession of women pilot helped her in building up a prominent position in the society that enabled her in getting respect from the people (Coyne et al. 2016).

Wanda is portrayed in the film to be an estranged body who wanders through the city streets. The view of Wanda was blocked by the surrounding that serves to highlight the dominance that she was subjected to in the society. Amelia brings to light the ambition of women and her character contributed to that of the equality of women. Amelia broke down the barriers and she acted like that of a role model for many of the women. Wanda shows that the women figures in the society were dependent on the surrounding community. Amelia brings to light the support that the main character got from her family along with the society.

References:

Clover, C.J., 2015. Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film-Updated Edition (Vol. 15). Princeton University Press.

Coyne, S.M., Linder, J.R., Rasmussen, E.E., Nelson, D.A. and Birkbeck, V., 2016. Pretty as a princess: Longitudinal effects of engagement with Disney princesses on gender stereotypes, body esteem, and prosocial behavior in children. Child Development, 87(6), pp.1909-1925.

Haider, K.Z., Nawaz, T. and Habib, H.A., 2017. NOVEL APPROACH FOR GENDER CLASSIFICATION IN ANIMATED MOVIES. Pakistan Journal of Science, 69(1), p.58.

Han, X., Wang, L., Crespi, N., Park, S. and Cuevas, Á., 2015. Alike people, alike interests? Inferring interest similarity in online social networks. Decision Support Systems, 69, pp.92-106.

Haskell, M., 2016. From reverence to rape: The treatment of women in the movies. University of Chicago Press.

Huang, S.Y., 2015. Action Research the Intersection of Multimodality and Critical Perspective: Multimodality as Subversion. Language Learning & Technology, 19(2), pp.21-37.

Osgood, D.W., Wilson, J.K., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G. and Johnston, L.D., 2017. Routine activities and individual deviant behavior. In Crime Opportunity Theories (pp. 49-69). Routledge.