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I only recently read about the Bechdel Test. For those who are unaware of this;
The Bechdel test is a method for evaluating the portrayal of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.
This test is apparently used as an indicator for the active presence of women in films and other fiction, and to call attention to gender inequality in fiction. We already saw how women are portrayed in Indian cinema last month. This week, before getting into the real life scenario I want to talk about three classics that miserably fail the Bechdel test. Before we get into that, let's ask ourselves one question. What do we women like to talk about the most? To other women, I mean.
Personally, I'm someone who can talk non-stop about my job, books, food, music, movies or sports. While I might mention a man who is attractive when it comes to any of these topics, I'm sure that the conversation will not only revolve around that. Most women I know love to talk about their husbands or their boyfriends. Some, in a good way. Most other, in a negative way. I don't see why some women base their entire lives only around the men in their lives. They can only talk about them or if they are single they can only talk about why there are no men in their lives. Isn't a woman's life worth living or talking about if there is no influence of a man in it? Or have we reached such a state where in a woman's conversation and her life is considered incomplete without a man?
The recently released 'Veere Di Wedding' was supposed to be about female bonding. But what do the four women in the movie bond about? Men! Almost everything they talk about is either about men or sex or both. I have a bone to pick with people who make these so called "women-oriented" movies. People need to understand that there are many facets to a woman apart from her sexuality. A woman discovering and exploring her sexuality is not the only thing that feminism is about. Women might talk about men and sex, yes, but that is not the only thing in their lives. A lot of people, both men and women, need to get this right.
That was about the movies, now let's come to the books. Why do writers have female protagonists and have their lives and minds only revolve around men? Let's take the famous 'Pride And Prejudice' for instance. In this one, all that the five Bennet sisters can think or talk about is men. The only expectation of Mrs. Bennet for her daughters is for them to marry good men. The sisters lives revolve around attending parties or staying with other families and talking about men. Elizabeth Bennet was applauded for her feminism and pride, but I could see neither. The way she succumbs to both Wickham and Darcy almost blindly does raise questions on her pride. Written by Jane Austen, a female author, this books should be the first one to fail the Bechdel test.
Another work by Austen that gets my goat is, 'Emma'. If there is a literary character that I absolutely loathe, it has to be this one. Emma Woodhouse, the protagonist of this book can only think of one thing. Matchmaking. She takes on people as projects and tries to find a match for them, whether they like it or not. She doesn't hide her preference of the social status for marriage either. She is either thinking or talking about men. First for others and soon enough, for herself. She's supposed to a headstrong and self satisfied woman, but she is one of the dumbest characters ever written. Probably this whole Bechdel test came into existence after someone read this book.
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Next, it is the so called "greatest book ever written", Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina'. Honestly, I did like the writing style of the book and the build up of its famous heroine, Anna Karenina. It is a really long book traversing various families, characters and morality. But at the heart of it is a woman, battling her feelings for her husband and her lover. She's either love lorn for Vronsky or is trying to escape her husband, the Count Karenin. There are other women too in the book, but then again, all of them long for men to accept them. Any conversation that Anna has has to do with men, be it her brother, her husband or her lover. If would have been so nice if she could have spoken about her passions (if she had any), to Dolly or Kitty, the other women in the book. But no! This is another epic fail in terms of the Bechdel test.
Coming to real life, how often have you heard two women talk about anything apart from men? You could talk about anything, be it the household chores, a job, a hobby or something else that doesn't have to do with a partner or any male figure. Does it happen often? I've seen women talk non-stop about how nice their husbands are and how they buy them things. On the same side, I have also seen women who talk about their husbands in the negative parlance. Either way, they are spoken about. Is this normal? Does this come from the sub-conscience? I have no answer to that.
Do I think it is bad? Not entirely. In real life, it gets really hard not to talk about the men in our lives with other women. Of-course this need not be the sole topic of discussion, but it will be spoken about. In a matter of fact way, nonchalantly even. Nothing wrong in that. But having only the topic of men to talk about sure is an abomination. Exactly the same when it comes to books and movies. We need books and movies that show a woman and her life and passions. It may include a man, yes. But, not only that. We need more stories where women discuss their work, or a sport. We have seen enough stories with women talking about their sexuality or the need for a man in their lives. Maybe it is time we take the Bechdel test into account, while telling our "women-oriented" stories.
What do you think?
This post is a part of the powerful series #FeministMondays on Naba's blog and you can be a part of it too. On the second Monday of every month, write an impactful post with the hashtag #FeministMondays and link it back to Naba's blog.
Original link
I only recently read about the Bechdel Test. For those who are unaware of this;
The Bechdel test is a method for evaluating the portrayal of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.
This test is apparently used as an indicator for the active presence of women in films and other fiction, and to call attention to gender inequality in fiction. We already saw how women are portrayed in Indian cinema last month. This week, before getting into the real life scenario I want to talk about three classics that miserably fail the Bechdel test. Before we get into that, let's ask ourselves one question. What do we women like to talk about the most? To other women, I mean.
Personally, I'm someone who can talk non-stop about my job, books, food, music, movies or sports. While I might mention a man who is attractive when it comes to any of these topics, I'm sure that the conversation will not only revolve around that. Most women I know love to talk about their husbands or their boyfriends. Some, in a good way. Most other, in a negative way. I don't see why some women base their entire lives only around the men in their lives. They can only talk about them or if they are single they can only talk about why there are no men in their lives. Isn't a woman's life worth living or talking about if there is no influence of a man in it? Or have we reached such a state where in a woman's conversation and her life is considered incomplete without a man?
The recently released 'Veere Di Wedding' was supposed to be about female bonding. But what do the four women in the movie bond about? Men! Almost everything they talk about is either about men or sex or both. I have a bone to pick with people who make these so called "women-oriented" movies. People need to understand that there are many facets to a woman apart from her sexuality. A woman discovering and exploring her sexuality is not the only thing that feminism is about. Women might talk about men and sex, yes, but that is not the only thing in their lives. A lot of people, both men and women, need to get this right.
That was about the movies, now let's come to the books. Why do writers have female protagonists and have their lives and minds only revolve around men? Let's take the famous 'Pride And Prejudice' for instance. In this one, all that the five Bennet sisters can think or talk about is men. The only expectation of Mrs. Bennet for her daughters is for them to marry good men. The sisters lives revolve around attending parties or staying with other families and talking about men. Elizabeth Bennet was applauded for her feminism and pride, but I could see neither. The way she succumbs to both Wickham and Darcy almost blindly does raise questions on her pride. Written by Jane Austen, a female author, this books should be the first one to fail the Bechdel test.
Another work by Austen that gets my goat is, 'Emma'. If there is a literary character that I absolutely loathe, it has to be this one. Emma Woodhouse, the protagonist of this book can only think of one thing. Matchmaking. She takes on people as projects and tries to find a match for them, whether they like it or not. She doesn't hide her preference of the social status for marriage either. She is either thinking or talking about men. First for others and soon enough, for herself. She's supposed to a headstrong and self satisfied woman, but she is one of the dumbest characters ever written. Probably this whole Bechdel test came into existence after someone read this book.
Image Source
Next, it is the so called "greatest book ever written", Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina'. Honestly, I did like the writing style of the book and the build up of its famous heroine, Anna Karenina. It is a really long book traversing various families, characters and morality. But at the heart of it is a woman, battling her feelings for her husband and her lover. She's either love lorn for Vronsky or is trying to escape her husband, the Count Karenin. There are other women too in the book, but then again, all of them long for men to accept them. Any conversation that Anna has has to do with men, be it her brother, her husband or her lover. If would have been so nice if she could have spoken about her passions (if she had any), to Dolly or Kitty, the other women in the book. But no! This is another epic fail in terms of the Bechdel test.
Coming to real life, how often have you heard two women talk about anything apart from men? You could talk about anything, be it the household chores, a job, a hobby or something else that doesn't have to do with a partner or any male figure. Does it happen often? I've seen women talk non-stop about how nice their husbands are and how they buy them things. On the same side, I have also seen women who talk about their husbands in the negative parlance. Either way, they are spoken about. Is this normal? Does this come from the sub-conscience? I have no answer to that.
Do I think it is bad? Not entirely. In real life, it gets really hard not to talk about the men in our lives with other women. Of-course this need not be the sole topic of discussion, but it will be spoken about. In a matter of fact way, nonchalantly even. Nothing wrong in that. But having only the topic of men to talk about sure is an abomination. Exactly the same when it comes to books and movies. We need books and movies that show a woman and her life and passions. It may include a man, yes. But, not only that. We need more stories where women discuss their work, or a sport. We have seen enough stories with women talking about their sexuality or the need for a man in their lives. Maybe it is time we take the Bechdel test into account, while telling our "women-oriented" stories.
What do you think?
This post is a part of the powerful series #FeministMondays on Naba's blog and you can be a part of it too. On the second Monday of every month, write an impactful post with the hashtag #FeministMondays and link it back to Naba's blog.
Original link
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