How Does Lillian Hellman Portray Women In The 1900s

In the 1900s, women had a disadvantage in societies. Women wanted a public voice and the right to do things and own things on their own. In the 1941 film, Little Foxes, Lillian Hellman addresses how the women in the 1900s behaved, how they were treated, and how they tried to obtain power. These evidence of feminism are not seen only through the characters, but through the films lighting, camera angles, and more. In the film, Little Foxes, Lillian Hellman addresses the stereotypes of women behavior. The female characters in the film portray the female’s behavior in the 1900 societies. Birdie, aunt of Alexandra, behaves in a way that most typical women behaved during the 1900s. Birdie obeys her husband because a male is considered to be a bit …show more content…
Birdie portrays a woman from the 1900s; she is very naive and she lets the men be dominant over her. When Birdie hears about Alexandra's marriage, Birdie knows that it is wrong because Regina, the mother of Alexandra, is using Alexandra to get money. Thus, Birdie tries to tell Alexandra, but she does not listen. Then when Birdie’s husband, Oscar sees that Birdie is trying to sabotage the plan of obtaining money, he brutally slaps her. Women in the 1900s were treated as if they were slaves. Men were able to treat women like objects. Moreover, in scenes where Regina talks with Oscar and Benjamin about their plan to become rich, Regina is the head of the group. Regina takes charge; however, Benjamin and Oscar tends to doubt her skills. They treat he as if she is unintelligent and she should not be involved. During the 1900s, women were looked down upon. They did not have the rights and power that men did. Similar to Regina, women were seen as unintelligent and not capable to do any business work. These negative treatments can also be seen through the technical areas of the …show more content…
In scenes where Birdie is with her husband, Oscar, Birdie’s negative treatment can be seen through the different camera positioning, and character positioning in each scene. When Birdie is with her husband, Birdie is always behind Oscar. She does not get much spotlight or attention because of her placing in the scene. In addition, the lighting may be a soft light, but it is never bright enough to have her get focused on. Also, in scenes where Regina is looked down upon, her lighting gets dimmer and her apparel is not as strong and sharp compared to her other outfits. Through the different technicalities such as placement, lighting, and apparel, the female characters getting treated differently can be