Female Stereotypes as Domestic Creature

B. Analysis

1. Representation of Female Stereotypes in Sense and Sensibility Film

2008 through Cinematography and Narrative Elements The essential poststructural thesis of cinefeminism is that the camera shot is not neutral. Cinefeminist likens the camera to male gaze. 26 Which is the male gaze of camera presents women as sexual object, prostitute, lesbian and mother. 27 Camera focuses on the ways in which the male directorial gaze constitute of women as object for men and ignores aspect of sexual politics and power transacted between men and women in the screen. Feminist criticisms have pointed to the male gaze that predominates in classical Hollywood filmmaking. Sense and Sensibility film shows discrimination, stereotyping, objectification especially sexual objectification, oppression, and patriarchy to women characters. In this case, the Cinematography and narrative elements have helped in bringing the patriarchal value of Sense and Sensibility Film.

a. Female Stereotypes as Domestic Creature

In the patriarchal family, a woman does not have a freedom to determine what she wants to choose. Women must obey their parents in childhood, their husband when they marry and their children when they grow up. 28 Patriarchal culture shows us the nature of gender inequality. Surrounding limited rights to 26 Ben Agger, 1992, op. cit, p. 127 27 Ibid. 28 John, J. Macionis. Society: The Basics, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996, p. 378. objectify women. in minute 04:00, 2nd disc women based on the flawed perceptions that men held of women. Those problematical represented women as domestic creature. Figure 2. Mrs. Middleton is sitting in the middle her children In the frame showed Lady Middleton the owner of Barton Park was sitting in the middle around her children that Lady Middleton was welcoming Mrs. Dashwood and the girls when they visited Barton Park. The camera shot has helped bring “soft patriarchal message.” The camera starts from long shot, and then the camera gets closer and closer and comes to close up and pause when Lady Middleton finally whispers the word. She was looked pale. The camera acts as male director who wants to tell more and more that women supposed to be. The camera presents women in their very own sphere. Lady Middleton is central to her family as wife, mother, and lover. The genteel, but reserved wife of Sir John Middleton, she is quieter than her husband is, and is primarily concerned with mothering her four spoiled children and savages than to an adult, civilized man. In the same way, the spectators participate in the story as they get identify with the camera which is moving to a short shot as curiosity arises. Figure 3. Mr. John down the stairs while Fanny fixed their son dress At the figure 3, the camera starts from long shot and then moves closer as following Mr. John Dashwood is walking down stairs while Mrs. Fanny and their son are standing in the corner of framing only. She is fixing their son’s dress. The camera shot presents within the space is then crucial as disruption of patriarchal values developed within patriarchal ideology itself. Those women were nurturing and carrying her children while men could do whatever and go wherever they want but not to do what women did. Women represent the most inferior forms of human evolution and that they are closer to children in this film. The camera shot shows that there is no equal parenting to nurturing the children. Society believes that women were never equal. Men and women have a master slave relationship. Being a slave in what suppose to be an equal society is a handicap of being the second sex. 29 Being a member of the second sex has also developed the title ‘The other’. It means that women were just “dispersed among males, attached through residence, housework, economic conditions, and social standing to certain men. Figure 4. Framing presents Mrs. Dashwood who is teaching Margaret At the figure 4, using camera shots long extreme, the framing shows Mrs. Dashwood and Margaret in front of their house. This camera acts have three means. First, the image presents Mrs. Dashwood as a mother; she has responsibility that is not only nurturing her children but also teaching them. The activity, which was most of women, do it in 18th century. Second, Margaret was looked study that she learnt about King and Queen of England. Women of the 18th century cannot take education in school as men. Girls received less education than boys did. It means women cannot take 29 Simone de Beauvior, The Second Sex, Translator : H.M. Parshley London: Vintage Classic, 1949, p.293. variety field. Furthermore, almost working fields were limited for women. Women only can take domestic field. Last, the house is as not only background in framing but also the male director wants to convince the spectators about women only can spend their life at home. Borrowed Simone de Beauvoir word that an image of the woman in the home.” 30 Women cannot take profession in variety field. In other words, women have nature responsibilities that only can take housework. Women are exploited domestically. One of the definitions a woman is a female person who plays a significant role wife or mistress or girlfriend in the life of a particular man. Societies also see women being known as one of the others due to dualities. Socialization is the process by which representatives of society teach people the ways of society and, in so doing, form their basic qualities. Through socialization, people learn the ways of society and internalize these ways. Moreover, socialization is also the process by which individual qualities and directions people take in life are created. Nonetheless, women are socialized with an ascribed status. The ascribed status female role was still as the good wife and mother, who primary responsibility was that of a homemaker. MARGARET Willoughby is scoundrel is you think mom. MRS DASHWOOD King and Queen Meg 30 Simone de Beauvior, 1949, Op. Cit. p.160. [.....] MARGARET I wish I were not a sister Women cannot do anything Man can around the countries and do things And girls just sit and wait what can happen. From the dialogue, it can be seen a statement of a child which is honest, brave, and critical. It is an extraordinary thing for a child to state the opinion even just to think about it. In this sequence, Margaret analyzes condition that happens to women. By the time, women really do not have power for her own life. Women in patriarchal culture have no chance to consider their orientation. In generally women does not have freedom to determine what she wants to choose. Women are in this way completely dependent on men. Based on that dialog, it can be seen difference between man and woman. That dialog describes women as lacking,” an incidental being,” and as imperfect men.” Sense and Sensibility film realizes us that humanity as a whole is dominantly male and defines women as relative to him. In addition, a wife must wait on hands and foot to her husband. Women cannot take variety field. They could not enter the profession or study at the university. Furthermore, almost working fields were limited for women. Women only can spend their life at home. Women in eighteenth century always want marriage as the only ambition worth having, to concentrate humbly only to her husband, her children and her home and to behave graciously and elegantly. A good keeps her house stay clean, watches appearance, and pays attention to her family so that it becomes perfect. A wife must serve every detail of her husband’s needs and give birth the babies. MARIANNE: Oh, Elinor I keep thinking about the poor girl with the baby. What strange grievances man of? ELINOR: Yes, indeed MARIANNE: What they want from us? ELINOR: I cannot done to you MARIANNE: Perhaps they see us not as people but as playthings, Elinor. From the dialog, Marianne and Elinor analyzed the condition of Charlotte Jennings Palmer. Mrs. Palmer is jolly and laughs at inappropriate things, such as her husband’s continual rudeness to her and others. In patriarchal culture, women will say “yes” to everything her husband decide. Women were moved by man’s hand. They do not have anything that they can admit their own. After they see Mrs. Palmer, Marianne and Elinor realized that women are the one who give birth and have the primary responsibility for her children and her husband ongoing. Based on the dialog and framing, definition of woman is what man decides it is; and while men are independent of women, the opposite is definitely not true. Sense and Sensibility film realizes us that the women around have no freedom to do what they want to do as men because of patriarchal values dominantly at that year. In additional, men tend to be conquest driven while it is natural for women to be more concerned with nurturing. In other words, women only can take housework. That problematic creates women as domestic creature.

b. Female Stereotypes as inferior