Ballad Of Little Jo Analysis

The Ballad of Little Jo was an irregular representation of women cross-dressing in films. Rather than supporting the idea of proving women to be as progressive as men, this piece gives a surprising twist to genuinely display a woman as a male. In pop culture films like Mulan (1998) and She’s the Man (2006), the female protagonist has a specific goal in mind—to prove herself or her cause as important. Furthermore, Josephine Monaghan has no piece to prove, only a goal to simply survive. Director Maggie Greenwald begins by depicting Josephine as the stereotypical representation of women—helpless and weak, but develops this character into a strong, working male called Jo. This goes against the cultural mainstream ethics and ideals of women, effectively illustrating women converting to the principles of men. In the modern films with cross-dressing females, directors dress their leading women as men to prove a …show more content…
In association with the Ballad of Little Jo, Mulvey’s parameters are addressed, but in ways that disproves one of her main points. Mulvey underlined that women are objectified and are not in charge. In cinema, women are represented in film predominantly through the male gaze, generally seen as sexually objectified. Greenwald invalidates this by switching the roles of feminism and masculinity, females and males, or more closely—Josephine and Tin Man Wong. The newly transitioned Jo has a rough and inimical persona, a matched description of a normal male character. Conversely, Tin Man was revealed as a feminine, feeble individual, with the same distinctions most female characters have. The gender roles and stereotypes are switched, successfully contrasting with the standards of American