In the film Rooster Cogburn, Eula Goodnight shows many qualities that break the mold of classic women in these westerns films. She is a strong woman that can protect herself and even protects Rooster Cogburn when he is fighting Hawk and his men. Eula has also mastered her skill with the gun which is usually only a quality of men in these western films. Women are almost never pictured with a gun or riding a horse by themselves and in this films Eula does both. While all these qualities separate her from other women I think the major factor that breaks the mold of classic women is the fact that she is allowed to travel with Cogburn on his dangerous adventure. The classic woman wouldn’t have even thought about going or wouldn’t have been allowed to go, but Eula on the other hand convinces Rooster to let her tag along. At the beginning of their travels Rooster looks at Eula as weak and unable to protect herself. But as the movie progresses Eula proves to him that she can protect herself and even be a valuable asset in helping to bring Hawk and his goons to justice. Eula is one of the women of western films that began to shift women’s roles in these films.
In the United States during this time women’s roles were also shifting too. Women had successfully merged into the workforce and were now involved in movements that were aimed at social equality. They were trying to prove to society that they were equal to men in skill and knowledge just as Eula was trying to prove to Rooster that she was just as skilled at him. Also during this time women began to have unheard of success in fields such as politics, business, and law. This can be seen in this film because Eula begins to have success in changing Roosters outlook on her from a weak liability to a strong woman capable of assisting him. Eula personified everything that women of this era were trying to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment