Catherine Breillat and Agnès Varda are two renown French directors that in different ways utilize the theme of fantasy versus reality in order to expose wider patriarchal myths that which serve to oppress women in society. In Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl, two sister share opposing view on how women are affected in society when losing their virginity. Elena, the older sister possesses an optimistic view of losing her virginity in which represents the fantasy that society has created whereas women can give her sexual purity to a man that loves her unconditionally and that they will be together forever. Anaïs on the other hand, the young sister, has a much more cynical, pessimistic view in which represents the reality whereas the first penetration
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Anaïs heard this as well and thus as she is raped in the woods by the stranger, she equates this to how her sister lost her virginity, in a vicious and forcible manner that which the woman (in this case Anaïs) has no control or voice in how it commences. This is the feminine or women experience, whether there is consent to sex or not, male is the decider, sex begins when he penetrates and ends when he orgasms, a woman only has very limited sexual power (Beauvoir). In this sense, particularly when a woman loses her virginity, it is rape in every case because the penis invades and destroys the woman’s body and in the process, according to the block quote above, destroys a woman’s sense of fantasy, her “dreams faint away [and] the excitement dissipates and love takes on the appearance of a surgical operation” (Beauvoir 395). The reality of sex, losing one’s virginity, for women at least, can virtually not fulfill a woman’s fantasy, instead as a woman loses her virginity, this is just another way society proves to women that reality is dreadful and benefits them …show more content…
Anaïs represents a very strong character, resistant to society’s expectation of her. Not all women are under complete control of men, completely passive and submissive to them. Although there are were women in society that refuse to conform to society’s expectations there are still countless that do and are oppressed because of it. Breillat also directed a film called A Real Young Girl which also explore fantasy and reality by following a 14-year-old girl named Alice, experiencing puberty, experiencing fantasies of odd sex scenes. The movie shows Alice coming into puberty possessing a very fantasized idea of what sex. The movie in many ways demonstrates how a woman is supposed to be submissive, accepting her role in society as male’s property. The film also portrays a scene where a man is chasing a woman up the side of a hill who is not his spouse. As he chases her, he progressively gets closer until finally he catches the woman and instantly begins to have sex with her and she complies without contest (A Real Young Girl). The chase represents how in society, it is the man who chases a woman, but once he wins, it is the woman’s role to be compliant. Man is the predator and a woman is the prey (Beauvoir 384). In society, a man chases a woman’s virginity and at which point a woman, shall become submissive and give to him. As Beauvoir states, “from the most servile to the haughtiest, girls all
Anaïs heard this as well and thus as she is raped in the woods by the stranger, she equates this to how her sister lost her virginity, in a vicious and forcible manner that which the woman (in this case Anaïs) has no control or voice in how it commences. This is the feminine or women experience, whether there is consent to sex or not, male is the decider, sex begins when he penetrates and ends when he orgasms, a woman only has very limited sexual power (Beauvoir). In this sense, particularly when a woman loses her virginity, it is rape in every case because the penis invades and destroys the woman’s body and in the process, according to the block quote above, destroys a woman’s sense of fantasy, her “dreams faint away [and] the excitement dissipates and love takes on the appearance of a surgical operation” (Beauvoir 395). The reality of sex, losing one’s virginity, for women at least, can virtually not fulfill a woman’s fantasy, instead as a woman loses her virginity, this is just another way society proves to women that reality is dreadful and benefits them …show more content…
Anaïs represents a very strong character, resistant to society’s expectation of her. Not all women are under complete control of men, completely passive and submissive to them. Although there are were women in society that refuse to conform to society’s expectations there are still countless that do and are oppressed because of it. Breillat also directed a film called A Real Young Girl which also explore fantasy and reality by following a 14-year-old girl named Alice, experiencing puberty, experiencing fantasies of odd sex scenes. The movie shows Alice coming into puberty possessing a very fantasized idea of what sex. The movie in many ways demonstrates how a woman is supposed to be submissive, accepting her role in society as male’s property. The film also portrays a scene where a man is chasing a woman up the side of a hill who is not his spouse. As he chases her, he progressively gets closer until finally he catches the woman and instantly begins to have sex with her and she complies without contest (A Real Young Girl). The chase represents how in society, it is the man who chases a woman, but once he wins, it is the woman’s role to be compliant. Man is the predator and a woman is the prey (Beauvoir 384). In society, a man chases a woman’s virginity and at which point a woman, shall become submissive and give to him. As Beauvoir states, “from the most servile to the haughtiest, girls all