Film, Women, and Identity

Throughout the 1950's, the norm for American women was changing drastically. Women were gaining the right to participate in politics, joining the work force, and the public was beginning to view men as their equals. In reaction to this new change in trends, many women had a hard time figuring out their own personal identity. As a result, some women began to struggle with defining who they were. Meanwhile women in this time era were searching for a good man to spend their lives with, like they had in all the years before. However, in the 1950's women had a harder time finding such a man to commit to. This was because women weren't sure what kind of women men were interested in now that the norm was changing. Men could be interested in the traditional woman or the more modern rebellious type. Women reacted to this in a confused way, they were searching for their identities in all the wrong places, and at the same time, struggling to display the type of woman attractive to a good man. These struggles have been displayed in many films made during this time era. Three excellent films that display this struggle appropriately are 'Splendor in the Grass,' 'Rear Window,' and 'Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman.' All of the leading women in these films struggle with self identity.

In the first film, 'Splendor in the Grass,' Deanie is the lead women. This film is made up of sexual tensions between teenagers during the 1950's. Before the 1950's families and couples had viewed the action of sex as one only used for marital purposes. However, many teens had begun to experiment with premarital sex during this time with individuals they knew they were going to eventually marry. Many opinions of American teenagers were on the border line about the act of premarital sex. They grew up knowing it was just for married couples, but now that the norm was changing there was a lot of thoughts floating around from couple to couple. In this film, Deanie takes the side of the older traditions, waiting until the married life to have any sort of sexual actions. Yet, she still struggles because she does want to conform to the other side and live life in a different light at times. She hopped from side to side because she did not have any sense of who she was, in fact, she placed her identity in her boyfriend Bud. Whenever he said something, she would rethink it if it didn't match her opinion, because she used him to help make up her own self identity. Due to her boyfriend Bud not taking the traditional side, and Deanie having mixed feelings, he had sex with another woman. Deanie became overwhelmed with emotions. She was not stable enough in her identity to make it through this situation. Deanie shows that she does not know what her identity is by showing her struggle in how she views her own morals. Deanie struggles with settling an opinion on the act of premarital sex and therefore cannot stand firm in one opinion. If Deanie were to have decided on one side, she would have had an easier time coping with such a situation as Bud leaving her. However, Deanie was indecisive which allowed her emotions to overtake her and her lack of self identity. She was confused and therefore was unable to be confident and certain on her views when Bud pushed her in ways she was uncertain of.

In another 1950's film, 'Rear Window,' the leading male, Jeff, has a broken leg and has nothing else to pass the time by with except observing his neighbors and how they go about their daily routines. In this film the leading lady, Lisa, also struggles with her identity; like that of Deanie in 'Splendor in the Grass,'and many of the American women in the 1950's. In the beginning of this film, Lisa wants everything in the relationship she has with Jeff to be her way, and at the same time Jeff wants it all his way. Jeff finds Lisa boring, she isn't adventurous or rebellious like the type of women the new norm is creating. This shows that Jeff is the type of man in this time era who wants a new type of woman. Lisa is a traditional, rich, and 'perfect' woman. Jeff does not want her at first, however, as the film goes on Jeff starts to bring to Lisa's attention that his neighbor is acting strange. Once Lisa begins to get involved in this secret mission she becomes more extreme, and turns into the woman Jeff wants to be with. Lisa didn't have much of a self identity and was constantly trying to get Jeff to fall in love with her. However, both of them knew her ways weren't working. Lisa not having any self identity ended up conforming to Jeff's standards and became the woman he wanted all along. In the end, Jeff and Lisa are both together, but they didn't change for each other. Lisa, and her lack of self identity, met Jeff where he wanted to be met.

In the last film example, 'Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman," the leading lady, Nancy, is married to a man by the name of Harry. Harry is not satisfied with Nancy and is longing for a more scandalous woman. Also known as a woman that applies to the new norm. Nancy displays that she does not have a sense of self identity and therefore gets outraged when Harry is with another woman, Honey. Matters only get worse as Nancy is put on medicine to help her 'insanity.' The medicine Nancy is given goes wrong and creates her to gain massive height and weight; she then becomes the fifty foot woman. While in this form Nancy is still set in her mind to find her husband Harry, and seems to care more about finding his location than in helping herself shrink back to normal size. This act preformed by Nancy shows that she has no self identity, she runs to the only comfort she has; Harry. Nancy never spent time deciding what kind of woman she was and how she compared to Harry's taste in women. Instead, Nancy did not know who she was and spent time trying to please Harry, hoping that she would discover who she was. Like that of Deanie in 'Splendor in the grass,' Nancy looks toward her husband for identity. Due to Harry's dissatisfaction in Nancy, Nancy ends up letting these emotions get to her head and kills Honey, the other woman. If that's not enough she ends up killing Harry and herself as well. If Nancy would have established her own identity outside of Harry she would have been able to handle this stressful situation in a healthier matter.

The 1950's brought new norms for women. Women were able to experiment with who they wanted to be. Some women chose to become the rebellious type, scandalous, safe or traditional. These new norms and types of women brought on lack of self identity. This then resulted in women depending on men for their comfort and self worth. All people need to have their own identity to get by. Otherwise, the world has issues like that of the women in the 1950's.