Critical Analysis of 'Mona Lisa Smile' through Feminist Theory

Introduction to Feminist Perspectives in "Mona Lisa Smile"

Set in the years of 1950, the film ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ directed by Mike Newell is an inspirational picture that explores life through feminism; marriage and education lead by a modernist teacher at the end of a traditional era. The film is shown to be very true to the time period it is taking place in, as the roles of women are clearly shown in the most prominent ways. Katherine Watson, played by Julia Roberts, is the main character of the film that brings about social change regarding the role of women within society. Through her principles, the portrayal of women is challenged which ultimately leads to the growth of new views and ideas in society regarding the advancement of women. The progression of society is regularly done through the use of social movements as it allows change to come about. The feminist theory is one of those engagements, which emerged around the 19th and early 20th centuries. This theory focuses on overturning inequalities present within societies, and the issue of the oppression of women’s rights over time. The critical analysis of the film ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ through the feminist theory, will examine the conformity females are faced with because of societal views, and the role of men during that time period, along with the eventual changes brought to the mentality of society by the influence of a feminist. The film itself focuses on one major aspect that remains a projecting issue in today’s society as the rights and roles of women are still in question despite the attempt to change these norms. Looking at discrimination through this lens allows one to glance at the advancement of feminism through the work of one individual, in a wide range of areas within western society, ranging from culture to law.

Gender Roles and Societal Expectations

Initially, the portrayal of gender roles during the film is done in the most basic way as women are labelled, as ‘housewives’ while men are educated and wealthy. When reflecting on the specific role of women portrayed, they have certain ideals and images set to strive for, or conform too. Although the females have come far from fighting for the right to go to school, their education’s ‘purpose’ is to teach how to be good wives to their husbands. The poise and etiquette teacher at Wellesley states in the film, “You all may be here for an easy ‘A’, but the grade that matters the most is the one he gives you” (Newell, 2003), to her students during a lesson. The women of Wellesley are expected to act a certain way, conduct themselves with poise and manners, and not question the roles society has given them. Conformation is something that is expected of women living in that society, but the ones who fail to do so are looked down upon and excluded. Because the main characters are all female the film is mostly told through their point of view. The women in the film are put through a lot. The most prominent issue is the debate of staying at home and creating a family or living their own lives and earning a living for themselves. When looking at this through the feminist theory, the concerns they have are usually regarding the ideas of love, sex, and school. These concerns ultimately influence them to get married and live the life that society has planned. In other words, they conform under pressure and in some cases are lead down paths of unhappiness and do not do anything about it because of that same pressure. Feminism during this time is an issue that is disregarded as the social norms take authority over the rights of the women.

On the other hand, the role of men, is represented in the typical way society sees them. They go to school, they get jobs, and they support their families. This representation of men is considered to be normal and they are not forced into acting a certain way. All the men in the film are either in school, looking for wives or engaged/married. The only man that isn’t looking for a wife or married, is the Italian professor named Bill. Although his role outlines the ‘typical’ man during that time period, he was known to be a part of the army and has sexual encounters with his students. The idea of feminism is limited during this time as women and men are treated differently solely based on their gender. If women were to do all the things that men were doing, they would be shunned or isolated within society. To add on, in the film there are a lot of subtle cues that women are a second to men. This is evidently seen through the conversation Katharine has with Tommy about Betty’s acceptance to law school, “That’s a long commute to get dinner on the table by 5” (Newell, 2003). Tommy continues by saying that just the acceptance that she has will be enough for her and that Joan will not be going to Yale because she will be in Philadelphia with him (Newell, 2003). Through this quote it is seen that he already expects her to put her dreams aside for his. The method in which both genders are portrayed shows the lack of equality and shows the challenges that women faced on a day-to-day basis.

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Challenging the Status Quo: Katherine Watson's Influence

Additionally, the time of change came about through the actions of Katharine Watson. The entirety of the film is based on Ms. Watson and her desire to challenge the ideas of society and how they perceive women. The idea that females are more home oriented and the male is more civilized and involved in the word acts as major enemies of the feminist theology. When looking at Katharine, she is portrayed to be the complete opposite of societies definition of women. Along with helping the girls to see that there is more to their lives than just being a housewife, she also pushes the idea of what a women should be. In other words, she hates the idea of being compelled by society's expectations and tries to push her students to work and make lives of their own rather than becoming dependent on their husbands. Through the struggle Katharine has with her students, both with them accepting her and her accepting them one is shown her true wants and desires. Katharine is portrayed as a woman who doesn’t want to get married; she represents an image of independence and shows a strong image of a resilient women in an environment filled with conformation, “Half of them are already married, and the other half, oh just give it a month or so! I mean, it's really only a matter of time! That's what they're doing here, right, they're just biding their time until somebody proposes!” (Newell, 2003). Despite Ms. Watsons efforts to bring about change there are many barriers she is faced with. Since women have been conforming all throughout their lives, the society within the film has adapted to the life of women and has normalized how women should be seen and what they are expected to do. So, when Katharine tries to bring about change, many women and girls get protective of their values as they see her as someone is trying to alter their approach to love, life and marriage. The idea of change is one that can have a positive or negative effect on the beliefs and lifestyle of a particular culture.

Moreover, the character of Katharine Watson is one that brings about change in the mentality of society and the view of women during that time period. Through her beliefs, students of her classes start thinking about opportunities that exist outside of the marriage life. Through analysis of the feminist theory, it is at this point in time where because of the influence of one individual, young women are put in a place where they are no longer required to be what civilization expects them to be. Katharine Watson is a perfect example of a feminist during the modern era as she fights for gender equality. By the help of modern art, she changes the view of her female students and allows them to see that there is nothing wrong to challenge women’s roles given by society in order to attain better futures for them. At the end, the early feminist movement starts surfacing, which ultimately progresses and makes positive changes over time.

The Rise of Feminism and the Challenge to Dualism

Additionally, Ms. Watson goes on to challenge the theme of dualism, which ultimately leads to the rise of feminism throughout the entire film. This was one of the major themes that formed the plot of the movie. This theory refers to the division placed between men and women and their abilities during this era. This change is made through the continuous encouragement given to the women in the school by her. By reclaiming the human emotional response but not implying that the women have a special ability to do this task (specifically because they are women) and asking the women what they thought about the male painters' emotions coming through in the art, Ms. Watson challenges the dualism of women are emotional and men cannot be emotional. She goes onto challenge the dualism that females are irrational and less intelligent than men throughout the movie - especially when she states, “I thought I was headed to a place that would turn out tomorrow's leaders, not their wives!” (Newell, 2003). Feminist theology does this very often, asserting that women can be scholarly resources for theological study and bring change to the world in which they live.

Conclusion: The Impact of Feminist Movements on Society

Conclusively, looking at the issue of discrimination through the feminist lenses evidently shows the advancements made within society during a time of need. This exploration allows one to glance at the progression of women’s rights through the work of one individual, in a wide range of areas within western society, ranging from cultural norms to law. The critical analysis of the film ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ allows one to gain a deeper understanding of the past and the oppression women faced on a daily basis. The basis of this film also goes on to outline specific issues related to feminism during certain time periods and the actions that were taken to bring about a positive and fair environment for all living within society. Through the critical examination of the roles of women and men, along with the look at the influence of a feminist during that time period, it is evidently shown that the changes made within societal standards, ultimately allow women to contribute to the development of their family lives, while being able to pursue a career without the fear of stigmatization or domination.