Fried Green Tomatos Critical Analysis

Fried Green Tomatoes is a novel written by Fannie Flag and the setting is in the 1930’s. The novel, made national blockbuster by Jon Avnet, is a story of two women and the right to live and be free in a world where anything outside of “the norm” was hard for others to understand. Cited in the text of Women and Gender, a radical feminist Rebecca West (1913) said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat” (p. 6). This analysis paper will discuss the three views of feminism, radical, liberal, and cultural.
Radical feminism is about domination and male control. According to Crawford and Unger, “Women as a group are oppressed, not by their biology or social class, but by men as a group” (p. 7). The film Fried Green Tomatoes fits in with radical feminism, for the abuse handed to Ruth from her husband seemed to be very brutal. Physical abuse is not the only form of abuse, for the verbal and overall controlling dominance is overbearing for anyone. “In other words, the power of men over women in society is expressed and acted out not only in sexual violence but also in male control of the very definition and meaning of sexuality (MacKinnon, 1994). Chapter 13 of the text Women and Gender explains the intimidation, criticism, threats, and humiliation of partner abuse. Radical feminism does not just speak of physical abuse, for mental abuse can be just as damning to a woman or man for that matter. In the movie, Ruth had a black eye at one point, was being carried up the stairs over her husband’s shoulder and pushed down the stairs of their home. That was a form of physical abuse. The scene where her husband comes in dressed in a KKK outfit, not only showed intimidation toward her about taking the baby, but against the caring black people that were family to Ruth. That was a form of intimidation and threats.
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Cited: in the text of Women and Gender, a radical feminist Rebecca West (1913) said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat” (p. 6). This analysis paper will discuss the three views of feminism, radical, liberal, and cultural. Radical feminism is about domination and male control. According to Crawford and Unger, “Women as a group are oppressed, not by their biology or social class, but by men as a group” (p. 7). The film Fried Green Tomatoes fits in with radical feminism, for the abuse handed to Ruth from her husband seemed to be very brutal. Physical abuse is not the only form of abuse, for the verbal and overall controlling dominance is overbearing for anyone. “In other words, the power of men over women in society is expressed and acted out not only in sexual violence but also in male control of the very definition and meaning of sexuality (MacKinnon, 1994). Chapter 13 of the text Women and Gender explains the intimidation, criticism, threats, and humiliation of partner abuse. Radical feminism does not just speak of physical abuse, for mental abuse can be just as damning to a woman or man for that matter. In the movie, Ruth had a black eye at one point, was being carried up the stairs over her husband’s shoulder and pushed down the stairs of their home. That was a form of physical abuse. The scene where her husband comes in dressed in a KKK outfit, not only showed intimidation toward her about taking the baby, but against the caring black people that were family to Ruth. That was a form of intimidation and threats. According to Crawford and Unger, Liberal feminism is about equality between females and males. Chapter 6 of our Women and Gender text talks gender roles and the scripts ones follow for girls and boys. “Baby girls were dressed in pink, puffed sleeves, ruffles, and lace, whereas boys were dressed in blue or sometimes red, but nothing ruffled or pink (Shakin, Shakin, & Sternglanz, (1985). The scene where Idgie is in her sister’s wedding at a young age is a very good example of a gender role. Idgie is ridiculed by an older sibling for being in a dress with a bow in her hair. Idgie is a tomboy little girl and this goes against the gender norm of a little girl. The mother tried so hard to tell her how pretty Idgie looked, but Idgie in the end was dressed in her “tomboy attire for the wedding”. Therefore instead of the cute little dress and the bow in Idgie’s hair, she had on a yellow/gold short suit. “Appropriate distinctions are very important if two genders are to be constructed. Gender-appropriate behaviors must be elicited from the infant and reinforced when they occur. Girls’ more delicate and restrictive attire can inhibit play and promote gender-stereotypic behavior.” (p. 186). Kathy Bates played a lonely housewife, Evelyn Couch, trying to gain any kind of attention from her husband. Liberal feminism is about equality, but can it be equality of the same sex? One example in the movie is when Evelyn had her blinker for a parking place in a grocery store parking lot. These two ladies in a VW Bug wheeled in and took the spot and this infuriated Evelyn, especially when the lady said she was “younger and quicker.” Evelyn in the film was always being “run over” per say, from others that were younger than her. Being treated as an equal from opposite sex, same sex, younger, older, or people of other ethnicity can make one feel liberal. According to Crawford and Unger, “Cultural feminism emphasizes differences between women and men. This perspective stresses that qualities characteristic of women have been devalued and should be honored and respected in society” (p. 7). One belief is that women can be more nurturing than men. Ruth, for example, was a very nurturing character in Fried Green Tomatoes. Not only to her son but to all her admired her. Evelyn Couch, on the other hand, wanted to feel needed and valuable to her husband. Evelyn started attending a group therapy class for women on how to rekindle her marriage. The several ways in which to get her husband to notice her did not seem to work. The expectations of women from men are to be there to nurture when men are ready, stay home and make sure their needs are taken care of. In the text of Reading Women’s Lives, Judy Syfers (1972) I Want a Wife, is a very good example of cultural feminism. “I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife that cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. (p. 36).” These are the types of events that took place when Evelyn was trying to get her husband to notice her, to feel valuable to him again. When Evelyn Couch stopped paying attention to her husband so much and focusing on herself and her needs, it is then that he realized what a pompous ass he had been. As we wrap this course up on Psychology of Women, I have learned so much on radical, cultural, and liberal feminism. For women not be beaten, ridiculed, or imitated by their male partner. Be able to be a liberal person. Be the person on the outside that you are on the inside without being judged by others in your life, job setting, church, or community. Most of all: Cultural Feminism. The feeling of being valuable to someone or for something is a wonderful feeling. Whether you are a man or a woman, we all want the same thing. EQUALITTY!!!!!!!