AdrianLuna

5/1/2015
FilmandCulture:FinalEssay
Topic:Genderroles

Formanyyearshollywoodhasreleasedmanyfilmsdepictingcertainsexualstereotypes.
Menareusuallyrepresentedasaphysicallystrongandindependentcharacters.Manysuperhero
heromoviestakethisapproach.Femalesareshowntobedelicate,dependentandneedingrescue
fromaman.Thereareexceptionsofcoursebutgrowingup,thisseemstobethenorm.The
TheoryofEverythingisonemajorexception,thegenderrolesarecompletelyswitchedand
providesawholenewoutlook.Knownasoneofthemostproficientscientistandcosmologistof
alltime,StephenHawkingtakestheaudiencethroughapersonaloutlookofhislife.
Throughouthistoryandthousandsofyearsofevolution,thehumanracehasbecome
moreadvanced.Eachgenderhasevolveddifferentlyandhaveacquireddifferenttraits.Menare
biologicallystrongerthanmostfemales.Femalestendtobebettercaregiverstotheirchildren
thanmen.Eachgenderhascertainadvantagesovertheother.Thisisnotonlyduetothe
biologicalandchemicalmakeupbutalsotherolemenandwomenhaveplayedthroughout
history.Towardstheendofthecenozoicperiod,tribeswereestablishedandrolesweregivento
helpenduresurvival.Menwenttothewildtohuntformeat,whilewomenweregathering
vegetation.Bothdutieswerecriticallyessential,meatprovidedthecaloriesandproteinwhile
vegetationprovidedessentialvitaminsandminerals(2).
GenderRoleshavebeeninexistenceforalongtime.Inmoderntimes,equalbalanceand
variationofgenderrolesisheavilyimplementedintodayssociety.Womenarenowinthe
military,holdpoliticalpositionsandhaveoutnumberedmeninhighereducationalinstitutions(1).

Theevolutioninfilmisverysimilar,drasticchangeshavebeenmadeintermsofhoweach
genderisportrayed.Inthefilm,TheTheoryofeverything,StephenHawking(playedbyEddie
Redmayne)isnotthetypicalmuscular,goodlookingandindependentman.Stephenisastudent
atCambridgeUniversity,appealingtotheintellectualandstatisticalsideoflife.Heimpresses
thewomanheadoresnotbyhisgoodlooksorwashboardabsbutbyhisintelligence.Jane
Hawking(playedbyFelicityJones)isaregularyoungwomanattendingCambridgeUniversity,
pursuingherdegreeinFrenchandSpanisharts.
TherespectiveroleforeachofthesecharactersdrasticallychangeswhenStephen
acquireshisdegeneratingdisability,
Amyotrophiclateralsclerosis(ALS).Shortlyafter,Stephen
andJanedecidetomarryanddisregardtheburdentheymustendure.TheseverityofStephens
diseasemakeshimextremelyvulnerableandhighlydependentonJane.Itisquitetheoppositeof
whatpeopleseeinhollywood.Thewomanisusuallytheonewhodependsonthemanforalmost
anything.Thisisbecomingamorecommonthingamonghollywoodfilms.Severalfilmsinclude,
TheGirlWiththeDragonTattoo,TheHungerGamesandTheDarkKnightRises.Stephenand
Janethenhavechildren,JanemustnotonlylookafterStephenbutalsotheirtwochildren.
Fromthestart,Janewasnotdepictedasasexualobjectbutassimplecollegegirlwho
tookherstudiesseriously.Womeninfilmaregenerallyshowntoappealbytheirphysical
appearance.JaneStrugglestohelpkeepandmaintainherfamilystable,inawaysheisthehead
ofthefamily.Intypicalhollywoodfilms,familiesareportrayedincertainway.Thefatheris
usuallytheheadofthehouseholdandthemother,asupportingcharacter.Janeistheonewho
makesthedecisionsandevenspeaksforStephensbehalf.Shefeedshim,batheshimandhelps

himwitheverydayactivities.Shebecomesanexceedinglystrongandagreatleadcharacterin
thefilm.
AlthoughStephenmayhaveacquiredadebilitatingdiseasethatpreventshimfrom
executingeventhesimplestofactions.Menareparticularlyseenasphysicallystrongbeings
capableofhandlingthingsontheirown.Thisespeciallytrueinhollywoodfilm,itseenmore
oftenwithsuperheromovieswhichhappentohavethebiggestboxoffice.Itisraretoseeaman
forevervulnerableandheavilyreliantonawoman.Lifedealthimabadhandbuthedidnotlet
thatstophimbecomingagreatfather.Helovedhischildrenashischildrendidtoo.Hetried
doingwhateverhecouldonhisown.Atfirsthedidnotwelcomethehelpofanyonebuthiswife,
hethenlateracceptedanyhelphecouldgetWhenhewaspresentedwithamoretechnologically
advancedwheelchair.Hewascapableofmaneuveringandcommunicatingalotmoreefficiently.
Intermsofromanticandsexualrelationshipsinvolvinggenderroles,TheTheoryof
Everythingtakeaveryuniqueturn.TherelationshipsJaneandStephensharedwasatypical
heterosexualmonogamy,untilthecharacterJonathanwaspresented.HehelpedtheHawkings
andespeciallyStephenwithmanydutieswithinthefamily.Herepresentedafatherlyfigure
insteadofHawking,thiswasnothisintentionsbuteventually,Stephentooknote.Juliehad
AffairswithJonathanwhileshewasstillmarriedwithStephen.Hethenlateracceptedher
decisionandconfessedhisinterestwithhisnurse.Amutualunderstandingandagreement,
somethingseenrarelyincinema.Whenawomancheats,sheisusuallyleftwithnothinginthe
endorforgiven,whenamancheatsheiseitherkilledorforgotten.
Peoplebuyfalserepresentationsofbothmenandwomen.Thismaybeduetothefactthat
peopleenjoyputtingthemselvesintothecharactersshoes.Whatmanwouldn'twant6packabs

andmusculararmsorwhatwomanwouldntwantaslimwaistlineandattractivebottom?People
indulgethemselvesinfilmsandaredisappointedwhenamoviedoesn'tendthewaytheylikeit.
Thismaybebecausethecharactermadeadifferentchoicethanviewerhadinmind.Filmsare
mostlymeanttobeobservedsubjectively,usedtotugandpullwithanindividual'semotions,
moralsandviews.Theunfairnessderivesinrepresentation,whenminoritiesare
underrepresented.Intermsinofgenderroles,womenarenotjustsexualobjectsbutareal
individual,capableofmostthingsmencando.Men,infactmostmen,arepeoplewithemotions
andfindpleasureintheaestheticthingsoflife.Thefilmisindustryistakingnoteoftheir
traditionalhabitsandisslowlyimplementingadifferentapproach.Thehopeforsuchchange
wouldgreatlybenefitthefilmindustryandchangeitforthebetter.

WorksCited

1) Ghosh,Palash."WhyAreMoreWomenThanMenGoingtoCollege?"
International
BusinessTimes.
InternationalBusinessTimes,06Dec.2011.Web.07May2015.

<
http://www.ibtimes.com/whyaremorewomenmengoingcollege213255
>.

2)Ridley,Matt.
TheOriginsofVirtue:HumanInstinctsandtheEvolutionofCooperation
.
NewYork:Viking,1997.Print.