Revival of Traditional Femininities

36 Through this language, Margaret looks happy to live as a traditional woman; wife and mother. She actually can just ask one of her family assistances to buy some milk for her, but she was happy to do it herself. Besides, Margaret was also shown through The Iron Lady movie that her status as Prime Minister cannot be an obstacle for her to be a good wife. This can be seen in the most touching words she said to Reece and Airey when they wanted Margaret to change some of her appearances. They asked Margaret to let her hat go and also the pearls wear in her neck. Scene : 462 Time : 00:43:51,226 - 00:44:09,203 “Gentlemen, I am in your hands. I may be persuaded to surrender the hat. But the pearls were a gift from my husband on the birth of our twins and they are absolutely non-negotiable ”. Through this language, Margaret proved to everybody that for her, the family was as important as the political career. Her motherly attitude did not appear in her family only but also shown in her political decision. She felt that she was not only a mother of her own children; Carol and Mark, but she was also a mother of every Britain’s citizens. This was proved by her action to Falkland. She did not care about the thousands of miles distance from the mainland of Britain. She did not care also about how many citizens were there in Falkland, even General Haig told her about the insignificant of Falkland both politically and economically. Her cabinet also asked her to think of the peace negotiation. Scene : 809 Time : 01:11:20,874 - 01:11:49,056 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 37 “1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Did America go cap in hand and ask Tojo for a peaceful negotiation of terms? Did she turn her back on her own citizens there because the islands were thousands of miles from mainland United States? No, no, no We will stand on principle or we shall not stand at all”. Another most touching scene about her relationship between the citizens of Britain was shown when she has to encourage the families of the armies sent to Falkland. She wrote a handwriting letter for all the families of the armies. Scene : 867 Time : 01:15:37,249 - 01:15:50,356 “As the only Prime Minister in the history of our country who is also a mother with a son of my own, I can imagine your agony, and your grief ”. At the end of The Iron Lady movie, Margaret in her imagination conversation ’s with her husband said that all she wanted in her life was to make a difference in the world and to make her family happy. Margaret was a real and great Prime Minister and also a real and great mother.

3. General Rejection of Second Wave Feminism

The general rejection of second wave feminism is also well known as the critique on the second wave ‘old-fashion’ feminism. Based on the language used by Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady movie, Margaret showed that she was applied post-feminist figure. The second wave of feminism movement is fighting for gender equality between men and 38 women in all aspects of life. The second wave of feminism movement assumes everything that can be done by men can also be done by women. While in post-feminism, particularly the general rejection of the second wave of post-feminism characteristic still admit that as human beings people can have different gender; men and women, but they can still work together without having forgotten or even abandon the original identity of each gender Faludi, 1992 Braithwaite, 2004, p; 21-22. This kind of characteristic was applied by Margaret through the language used in The Iron Lady movie. There were two aspects of life that she applied the post- feminist characteristics in the way she used the language.

a. Margaret’s Personal Life

General rejection of the second wave feminism was applied in Margaret Thatcher ’s language on the dialog between young Margaret and her husband; Denis: Scene : 268 Time : 00:26:09,246 - 00:26:24,140 “I love you so much but...I will never be one of those women Denis - who stays silent and pretty on the arm of her husband. Or remote and alone in the kitchen doing the washing up for that matter. No – one’s life must matter, Denis. Beyond the cooking and the cleaning and the children, one’s life must mean more than that – I cannot die washing up a teacup ”. This dialogue happened in the Town Hall between young Margaret and young Denis when Denis proposed Margaret. As an ordinary woman, 39 Margaret was happy with the proposal of her lover Denis. She told Denis her feeling. However, with a firm she did n’t impose her will she made a deal with her husband so that she could pursue her goal: not only to be a wife who stays at home and spends all her time in taking care of her children and husband. Another occurrence when she accompanies her daughter Carol in her driving practice. Margaret showed that even though she was a career woman, but still she can have quality time with her family especially her children. She proved that her career did not stop her from being a good mother, and vice versa that her status as a wife and mother did not hinder her career. She could work together with her husband and children in the household.

b. Margaret’s Political Life

General rejections on the second wave feminism were applied also in Margaret Thatcher ’s language on her political life. Scene : 313 Time : 00:33:59,534 - 00:34:13,105 “If the right honorable gentleman could perhaps attend more closely to WHAT I am saying, rather than HOW I am saying it, he may receive a valuable education in spite of h imself ”. Through this language, Margaret wanted the audience to understand that even though she was among the men, she is still a woman