In the films High Noon and The Ballad of Little Joe it is easy to relate the beliefs of Tompkins to the role of women in these films. In the film High Noon we see Will Kane get married right in the beginning of the movie. When Kane learns Miller is coming back into town to avenge his sentence to prison, Kane decides he must return to town and take Miller on at high noon. His wife Amy doesn't understand why he won't just leave with her. But as Tompkins says "they would rather die then settle the argument by talking" this of course referring to the cowboy (Tompkins 64). Tomkins continues by saying that the woman's voice, which in this case is Amy's plee for Will to go with her, is "replaced by the narrative of the gunfight" (Tompkins 65). Kane knows there are no words that can keep him from facing Miller. He says at one point that he has never run from someone before so why start now? His reliance to his code of ethics trumps any words his woman says to him.
In the Western film The Ballad of Little Joe we see a much different portrayal of the woman. Josephine is pushed out of her town after bearing an illegitimate child. When Josephine travels to Ruby City she disguises her self as a man. Josephine knows that to lead the successful life that she wants to she must disguise herself. In Tompkins it is said that "women are inferior beings" (Tompkins 56). When Little Jo takes on her role as a man she knows she cannot speak as much because she understands that males don't speak as much. Tompkins says, "not talking is a demonstration of masculine control over emotion" (Tompkins 56). The film The Ballad of Little Joe shows us in many ways the what women thought the male in Western film.
In the films High Noon and The Ballad of Little Joe it is easy to relate the beliefs of Tompkins to the role of women in these films. In the film High Noon we see Will Kane get married right in the beginning of the movie. When Kane learns Miller is coming back into town to avenge his sentence to prison, Kane decides he must return to town and take Miller on at high noon. His wife Amy doesn't understand why he won't just leave with her. But as Tompkins says "they would rather die then settle the argument by talking" this of course referring to the cowboy (Tompkins 64). Tompkins continues by saying that the woman's voice, which in this case is Amy's plee for Will to go with her, is "replaced by the narrative of the gunfight" (Tompkins 65). Kane knows there are no words that can keep him from facing Miller. He says at one point that he has never run from someone before so why start now? His loyalty to his code of ethics trumps any words his woman says to him.
ReplyDeleteIn the Western film The Ballad of Little Joe we see a much different portrayal of the woman. Josephine is pushed out of her town after bearing an illegitimate child. When Josephine travels to Ruby City she disguises her self as a man. Josephine knows that to lead the successful life that she wants to she must disguise herself and scars her face. In Tompkins it is said that "women are inferior beings" (Tompkins 56). When Little Jo takes on her role as a man she knows she cannot speak as much because she understands that males don't speak as much. Tompkins says, "not talking is a demonstration of masculine control over emotion" (Tompkins 56). The film The Ballad of Little Joe shows us in many ways what women thought of the male in Western film.