Herstory Blog Assignment

Sarah Jackson

WST 3015

February 1, 2010

Nina Perez

Word Count: 537

Well Done, Sister Suffragette!

Before the 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution on August 18, 1920, women in America had little to no power of the laws that governed them. They could be seen has chattel, tangible property of men. After more than seventy years, it was through the hard work and sacrifice of women suffragists that the 19th Amendment finally passed. The women who fought for this political freedom had to work against social norms, political oppression, and even physical violence. All of this is shown in the 2004 HBO film "Iron Jawed Angels." Megan Seely explained the film very well when she said: "'Iron Jawed Angels' introduced a new generation to Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and the fight for women's suffrage...[and]...leaves us with...an understand that the right to vote was not readily granted to women," (Seely 40). "Mary Poppins" can also be analyzed as a feminist film because of its suffragist character Mrs. Banks and the strong independent character of Mary Poppins. Both "Mary Poppins" and "Iron Jawed Angels" depict strong female characters and show the different ways women were able to fight for women's rights during the early 1900s.

Both "Iron Jawed Angels" and "Mary Poppins" display strong female characters. Mary Poppins and Alice Paul are portrayed as the strongest female characters is both movies. Alice Paul, as a nonfiction character, was a cornerstone to suffragists in the early 1900s. Her organization of the National Women's Party and her work drafting the Equal Rights Amendment showcase her dedication to the development of the political and social rights for women. She was a well educated woman who was able to hold her own with men in a social situations. This is shown throughout the film in the scenes dealing with her fictional love interest. Alice is focused on her work for the cause, not on the development of her relationship with a man. Although Mary Poppins is not openly in favor of a woman's right to vote, she displays characteristics of a feminist. She is educated and completely independent. Instead of being supported by a husband or a father, Mary works odd jobs and travels consistently. She is not tied down to anyone in particular and is able to do as she pleases, like Alice Paul. Mary is also the smartest person in her movie. Mary Poppins is the character teaching life lessons to all of those around her, even the male characters. She speaks as an equal to Mr. Banks and is not intimidated by him like Mrs. Banks, the Banks children, and his female servants. Unlike Alice Paul, who is open and upfront with her political opinions, Mary Poppins quietly makes her political and social messages known. She tricks Mr. Banks into taking his children on an "outing" with him to work which can be see as her way of working towards more equal distribution of parenting responsibilities between men and women. She also is shown to be an affective advocate for the homeless when she sings "Feed the Birds" to the children and urges them to be generous to the less fortunate.

Although both films are very different in many ways, they are still able to demonstrate different sides of feminism. It is shown that both Alice Paul and Mary Poppins can be seen as feminists through out both films.

Works Cited:

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York University Press, 2007. 40. Print.