Ucel Essay

2021-2022 Semester 1
Understanding Culture and Everyday Life Individual Assignment Topics: Q1 – Gender
CCCU4003-CL05 Ho Kwan Wing (20182494) No. of words: 900-1100words
Why Must We Marry At All? – A Case Analysis of “Little Women (1994 American film)” on
Gender Practice Related to Marriage Views
How can a story written in the 19th century be adapted into film and television works
fourteen times, and it is still not considered obsolete until now in the 21st century? The
messages it embeds and the cultural value it contains should be immortal. “Little Women”
written by Louisa Alcott is one of these classic novels, and the film in 1994 is one of the best
adaptations of this story. The film plot revolves around daily lives of four sisters of the March
family during the American Civil War in 19th century, and through various gender practices,
different marriage views and gender images are depicted. Based on theories of Gender
Performance (Judith Butler, 1990), it is known that gender is a shifting effect of ideological
practices. Therefore in this analytical essay, gender practices in “Little Women (1994 film)”
would be described, representation of gender ideologies in the film text would be
exemplified, and the relationship between gender practice and gender ideology would be
explained.
Firstly, the idea that both men and women need marriage is deepened through the plot
development, it is when the film characters plan and equip themselves for their future. Since
marriage is considered essential by mainstream society, it is a norm that most characters in
this film decide about how and whom to marry in their life plans. At the meantime, Jo (main
character) is the only one who dares to question about why they must marry, her later
experience is also affected by this. When she rejected a proposal from her best friend Laurie,
she feels herself so resistant to marriage, and she feels extremely depressed because she
hurts her best friend in a ‘awkward’ way. She cries out that there is something wrong to her,
she wants to change but she can’t, and she just knows she will never fit in anywhere. Her
feelings imply that refusing to marry is not a marriage view accepted by the society,
therefore she even judges herself as ‘wrong’. The notion of having to get married is so
immutable that most people around Jo firmly believe that she will succumb to matrimonial
fate eventually, even when she goes to America only for chasing her writing dream.
Unexpectedly (or expectedly), Jo still gets married in the end, symbolizing a ‘happy ending’
of her love story which follows the ‘correct’ direction of the plot might be one of the
purposes. In short, the filmmaker might think that this ending will be accepted by the
general audience relatively. Jo giving up subverting the traditional gendered expectations in
the end further implied that marriage is a must.
Next, people conform gender images that are expected and preferred by society for a
chance to marry better, and this phenomenon is naturalized through dialogues between the
film characters. Men are told to be gentle, highly educated, hold property, vote and serve in
the union, etc. For instance, Laurie in this film is told not to “shout at ladies as if they were
cattle”, his grandfather insists him “go to college”, John is expected by his mother-in-law that
he “must secure a house” and “must do his service to the union”. On the other side, women
are told to maintain slim body figure, their beauty and disposition, dress up properly, be
well-mannered and graceful, not to speak loudly or crudely etc. For example, when one of
the young girls first went to her into-social-world party, she “didn’t eat for weeks
beforehand”, and she warns another girl Sally “you won’t be able to draw your laces” as she
saw Sally eating some desserts. An aunt asks the March mother, “how is she to be married
without a proper debut?”, and she is referring to that kind of party where girls wear elegant
dresses to attract suitors and receive their proposals. When Jo wants to invite Laurie to join
the game between March sisters, they told her that “when it’s only ladies, we don’t guard
our conduct in the same way”. Another example is that Amy always reminds her sisters not
to say words like ‘awful’, ‘blast’ and ‘wretch’. All the above examples from the film shows
that most of the characters agree to be shaped into stereotypical gender images, and they
also take action to judge people around and pass the ideas on. In the society where people
agree that masculinity and femininity is the key to attract the opposite sex, those who
subvert this ideological culture are being negatively judged.

Lastly, people’s experiences and behavior are still influenced by these gender
perceptions regardless of their marital status, and this situation is shown through the
characterization of film characters. The March mother, who is a mature married woman, still
being judged by saying the word ‘corsets’ in front of a man. Jo, who refused to get married,
still feels sad when her beautiful long hair is sold. Amy, who has not reached the
marriageable age, tries to reshape her nose to make herself more good-looking since young.
To conclude, gender ideologies are embedded and represented in the film text mainly
through plot development, dialogues and characterization. These ideologies work behind
the marriage views and the corresponding gender practices in this film. Since multiple
gender practices shape gender ideologies while these gender ideologies use their power to
reinforce those gender practices, it is seen that gender practice and gender ideology are
interrelated and interdependent. Reflecting on our society, similarly, we all live within the
notion of gender stereotypes no matter married, single or unmarried. Then what is the point
of using the necessity of marriage to rationalize our gender practices? We might find out
that this is just one of the means used by different social institutions to blur ideologies
hidden behind to limit our freedom.

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2021-2022 Semester 1

Understanding Culture and Everyday Life Individual Assignment Topics: Q1 – Gender

CCCU4003-CL05 Ho Kwan Wing (20182494) No. of words: 900-1100words

Gender Practice Related to Marriage Views

would be described, representation of gender ideologies in the film text would be

marriage is considered essential by mainstream society, it is a norm that most characters in

general audience relatively. Jo giving up subverting the traditional gendered expectations in

the end further implied that marriage is a must.

subvert this ideological culture are being negatively judged.

hidden behind to limit our freedom.

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