Whale Rider Essay

The New Zealand film, Whale Rider (2002) directed by Niki Caro is an extraordinary example of the feminist literary theory. The visual text follows the journey of a young eleven-year-old Maori girl named Pai, shorten for Paikea who believes she is destined to be the next chief in line of the patriarchal Maori tribe she is part of in the east coast of New Zealand. No matter the circumstances her traditional, stubborn grandfather named Koro refuses to accept that a female could possibly lead and guide the people in the tribe. Pai determine to prove to him [Koro] that he is wrong about a few things by questioning his strong beliefs, breaking sacred methods as well as rebelling. She goes as far as sacrificing her own precious life just to gain
For women the word ‘femininity’ is assigned and ‘masculinity’ for men, it differentiates the two genders rather than referring each other as human beings. The word itself is used to portrait ideal ideas of what a woman should be like. Simone de Beauvoir states “We are told that femininity is in danger; we are exhorted to be women, remain women, become women. It would appear, then, that very female human being is not necessarily a woman; to be so considered she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity”. Femininity is what makes a woman a woman, there are no other options. Simone de Beauvoir quotes ‘Tota mulier in utero’ from someone else, ‘woman is a womb’. Referring to that if you have ovaries and a uterus you are a woman in the eyes of the world and there is nothing else you could be refer as because there is only two choices you could be, but what is a woman?” what is their purpose in this world? What is an ideal woman? Gender stereotypes are 'generalizations about the roles of each gender'. They could give a positive or negative idea of how a person or a group should be or become. In the film, Pai is expected to do things which are considered feminine. For example she was separated from the other kids from the classes her grandfather was offering. All she could do was sit in the back of the class
Therefore, after learning more about the whole concept, it has changed the way I view society as a whole. This is because when I began to study this theory, I realised women need to be appreciated for all their accomplishment throughout the years, their hard work and efforts on creating an equal world between the two genders. However, I began to question whether feminism is actually revolved around idea of empowerment of female in every aspect whether it is social, economically or politically? And maybe, feminism was never about those things which we’re informed about. It might just be excuses for females to gain power, domination and over throw males of the high power they possessed since they aren’t value as much. Perhaps women are fed up of being referred as the ‘Other’ like de Beauvoir claims. As the ‘Other’ representing less, the inferior, the bad in good, the negative, etc. Or maybe is a way which females could be recognised and be appreciated, like being seen more than what society thinks they are. As humans we are never satisfied with what we possess or given. We always want more and more, which leads to greed, and in general we’re a very selfish species. Equality could not possibly happen, both genders have made it look like they can't stand each other, this is because they’re