Assignment 3

I loved the movie Iron Jawed Angels. Not only were there great actresses in it, but they gave a really good image as to what Alice Paul and her followers were truly like. I learned that they broke from NAWSA and I did not know all of the political issues with feminism in the early 1900s. 

It was a very interesting movie, and the jail scenes were just horrible the fact that they put a feeding tube down Alice Paul's nose in the movie. I loved seeing the passion that women had and that they actually did something to further their beliefs instead of just wish there was gender equality with voting. 

The fact that the Senator's wife got involved against his will meant a lot to me, especially when I saw by the end of the movie he was helping them. It provides a theme that people can change, but you have to see all sides to know what the real issue lying in front of you truly is. I don't think that everyone should change what they believe in, but everyone needs to be knowledgeable about both sides to every story. 

Sometimes, there are more than two sides to every story. There were many tensions among the women who worked for suffrage. The same issues seem to always go hand-in-hand in the United States: race, gender, and class. Much tension was caused during the parade and whether or not African American women could walk or not. I am proud that the African American women joined the parade knowing that the upper class white males were the ones that had the ability to change the laws. This issue, along with the class issue when Alice Paul and her women were campaigning to the lower class working women were huge themes throughout the movie. I do think that class was more of a tension in the movie than race, while race is more an issue than class in society. People see race more than they see class. Through education provided by Paul and her coworkers, the race and class issues were minimized and they united for the achieved common goal.

Readings: My favorite definition of feminism comes from Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by  Bell Hooks. She states that it is "a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." I agree with her in that using the term sexism it broadens the definition and helps rid the man hater stereotype. I like that Hooks blatantly states that women can be sexist too. It really adds to the verification of her title... feminism is for everyone and isn't about women hating me; although, there may be some women that use that motive to be a feminist.

I am in a sorority. Hooks speaks of sisterhood and how it is powerful. I have learned that there is a confidence you gain when you're with all of your girls. They don't have to be your best friends, but because you all have common interests it makes you more confident in what you believe in and helps you to stand up for your beliefs.