The Importance Of Female Characters

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When women are little girls most of them wanted to be princesses, to be rescued by their handsome prince and be carried off to a land far, far away and live happily ever after; as women grow up and their idea of happy ever after changes so does their ideal heroine. Times changed with the suffrage of women and equal right movement so did everyone’s perception of the modern woman. Soon there was nothing females could not do; no dream to big, no star to high. These changes in attitude were also seen on the big screen. “Fictional characters are of great value in the ongoing process of creation and serve as building blocks for the development and expansion of our culture.” (Kurtz, 2013) Lead female roles took on a stronger action role; no longer are the princesses waiting in the tower now they are rescuing Prince Charming. Today’s female action heroine is nothing like her former incarnations. Even Rothman notes that Hollywood has gone “heroine chic” and today’s female action star is smarter and stronger than any “totalitarian regimes”. She is without fear, but is still a woman at heart who has to save humanity (2014, pg.52). She has goals and strives to reach past them; she is not willing to stand by holding the torch so the man can read the inscription. The new female leads in Hollywood are solving the mysteries, stopping the bad guy, and saving the world. Even though most of the earlier female heroines could not reach their full potential without their prince or some mystical source, today’s female heroine is more focused, more independent and even more popular than her predecessors. The first aspect of the new age of women is they are more focused, they have goals. Before women were followers, they had no... ... middle of paper ... ...(2008). Twilight United States: Summit Entertainment. Hiller, A. (Director). (1966). Penelope United States: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Hogan, D. (Director). (1996). Barb Wire United States: PolyGram Video. International Communication Association. (2008). Assessing Gender-Related Portrayals in Top-Grossing G-Rated Films. California. Choueiti, M., Granados, A., Pieper, K., Smith, S.. Kurtz, L. Fictional Characters and Real People. University of Louisville Law Review, 51, 435. Liman, D. (Director). (2005). Mr. & Mrs. Smith United States: 20th Century Fox . Niccol, A. (Director). (2013). The Host United States: Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Vadim, R. (Director). (1968). Barbarella United States: Paramount Pictures. York, A. E. From Chick Flicks to Millennial Blockbusters: Spinning Female-Driven Narratives into Franchises. The Journal of Popular Culture, 43, 3-25.

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