Pan's Labyrinth Gender Roles

The narrative of a woman Throughout history war has been depicted as a man’s war. Rarely are women shown as equals to their male counterparts, or at least capable of defending themselves or their love ones. But the narrative of a weak woman is a false one, far from the truth that is shown in movies. In my opinion Pan’s Labyrinth is an example of how women are often depicted as weak and invisible during times of war. The movie gives the impression that women lack representations and assume their gender roles as being the caretaker. It also uncovers the stereotypical ideologies of women and how they overcome them. The film takes place during the Spanish civil war, it explores three important female characters and their vulnerability, invisibility …show more content…
Faced with her father’s tragic death she and her mother Carmen go off to live with her newly step father, Captain Vidal. Captain Vidal, a fascist, rules with an iron fist. He dictates everything, as well as the women around him. Left powerless and trapped by her reality, Ofelia turns to her imagination where she has power over her life. The director of the film gives Ofelia a gateway where she can cope with the reality she is faced. In a world where she is helpless Ofelia escapes her reality by going on these adventures that seem almost real. For once in her life Ofelia is able to acquire power and control the outcomes in her fairytale world. In my opinion Ofelia’s fantasy world was a way of coping with the war and the reality around her. She found comfort in her mind and the fantasy world she created. According to the journal of the mental health, “Children at Risk Psychological Coping with War and conflict in the Middle East” the paper published discusses how children deal with life and death during times of war, and the everlasting affects it has on them. Death is difficult for children to deal with. With death brings a sense of helplessness. The harsh reality of war brings forth turmoil in a world that is very unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The world as they know has fallen apart. With war come some everlasting effects. One of those effects is traumatic syndrome. This article supports how Ofelia deals with the reality and the life she is living. Faced with war and death around her she finds comfort in her fantasy world. The life she once knew is gone and everything around her is falling apart. With her mother worrying about her pregnancy and her new husband Captain Vidal, Ofelia has no choice but to turn to the fantasy world she created from the love of fairytale novels. The only way she is able to make sense of what is going on around her, is through her adventures