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The representation of women in films and the media should be analyzed in the context of the social and political climate in which they are made in order to truly understand the motives behind the particular presentation. The presentation of feminism or anti-feminism can be explained in context of the era. In this article I will examine "Star Wars" (first released in 1977) and argue that the film depicts Princess Leia, the rebel leader, as a feminist role model because she embodies the struggles and accomplishments of real women during the 1970s.
In 1977, Star Wars was released to a generation of men and women inundated by discussions of the ERA, Mary Tyler Moore, and Wonder Woman. The concept of an independent woman was familiar and almost expected. She was the potential ideal to be reached by women. She was erotic yet independent. This was the era following the 1950s ideal of the good mother and preceding the power-suit wearing severe woman of the "me" years of the 1980s. Feminists (and all women)were reclaiming their eroticism. Women could have sex without worry of pregnancy, thanks to the Supreme Court decision in 1972 that made the Pill available to all women, regardless of marital status. Women could openly flirt or ask out a man. They had come a long way, baby, according to advertisers as far back as 1968. Women, and the society of the 1970s , were more accepting of themselves as sexual creatures. However, this independent woman was not yet the norm. The age of "The Andy Griffith Show," "Bonanza," "Rawhide," or "Gilligan's Island" was still too near to have been ignored. And despite the Democratic presidency, conservatives had enough power to still push their ideals of traditional gender roles. Although there was already this backlash toward the new independent woman, Americans could not get far from this new woman.
This leads us to the female ideal depicted in "Star Wars" through the character of Princess Leia. She is introduced as the rebel leader of a good, almost socialist, nation. Although she has gained power through a traditional manner (through her bloodline) she is still the power-figure for an all male group. Although the role of a feminist with power was gaining acceptance in society and politics of the 1970s, it was not yet a completely palatable idea for much of mainstream society. Leia is the only woman in the rebel force, and in the entire movie actually. Having an independent woman depicted without her feminist comrades, her threat is minimized. The era could tolerate a lone feminist, but was not quite ready for a group that could join forces and gain power. This is after the era that proved organized efforts for change (i.e. the civil rights rallies and anti-war protests of Vietnam) really could work. To have an group of women organizing for their own rights can be seen as a threatening body that could accomplish true power. But having only one feminist, one woman, no chance for even any other potential feminists, "Star Wars" shows the ideal of the 1970s without being threatening.
When the audience first sees Leia she has been captured by the Empire but is desperately fighting to save her people. She lies, manipulates, and risks her life out of duty. However brave and "masculine" her actions must be, she ultimately turns to men for help. In the political scene of the 70s, authority still belonged to the male realm. Women were progressing, but the patriarchal system was still as prevalent as ever. So Leia, like the women in the 70s, is caught in a paradigm. She has power, but yet must ultimately rely on men. She pleads to Obi-Wan , a graying sage, for help. Like the other female role models of the 1970s, Leia has power but yet must seek advise and help from men to accomplish her goal. She does not have complete autonomy and power. This is like Mary Tyler Moore's dependency on Lou Grant for guidance in each episode, and like Diana Price's (a.k.a. Wonder Woman's) dependency on the army commanders. These female characters reflect the political reality, and slap feminist activism of the 1970s in the face. The women of the time were faced with the idea of independence, but forced to see the obvious limits to their freedom (i.e. male politicians having the power, men earning more money for the same job). Feminists were organizing against these double standards and conflicting expectations without the help of men, and without a desire for help from men.
After pleading to Obi-Wan for help to save her people, she is "rescued" by Luke Skywalker (a pilot and would-be rebel knight) and Han Solo (a smuggler and mercenary involved in the rescue for purely capitalistic reasons). But this rescue attempt is blundered by the men, and it is Leia who rescues not only herself, but Luke and Han as well. This is the ultimate act of autonomy and power as Leia takes control of the situation and shouts orders to the two men. Although Luke is willing to follow Leia's lead, Han is a traditionalist who has difficulty relinquishing power. This was a common struggle with men during the 1970s. On television, the 1970s presented Lou Grant giving a woman a power position yet worrying about her performance and fretting about having a woman in the position. In the political realm, the struggle for the ERA pitted women against male politicians who supported equal rights in theory, but not in practice (fifteen states failed to ratify the amendment and numerous male politicians opposed the amendment).
Han's response to Leia's power is to sexualize her in an attempt to put her back in her place: "Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her." Is her objectification a method of minimizing her strength? Although this is one valid argument, I choose to argue her sexualization is not an attempt at objectification but can also be seen as a sign of women's growing power gained by the accomplishments of the second wave of feminism. Women had fought and won the fight for sexual freedom. Leia, too, has this freedom if she desires it. Her representation proves that women can be strong and sexual. Leia does not need to deny one aspect of her self to fulfill the other. Mary Tyler Moore and Wonder Woman maintain their strength and independence while at the same time being sexual beings. Mary's dating life is discussed, without necessary dialogue of marriage. In one episode the men of WJM-TV think about what their futures would be like if they had dated Mary. Yet throughout the episode, Mary remains the career girl she is famous for. And Wonder Woman frequently escapes to her Sapphic world of young, erotic women, where they lived to escape male domination. This portrayal of Leia is a huge leap for women and feminists in main stream media. No longer must a woman be a whore or be an angel. It is no longer the age of Mary Ann and Ginger, "Gilligan's Island", or Aunt Bee of "The Andy Griffith Show".
In the remaining movies of the trilogy Leia is overly sexualized (i.e. her kiss with Luke in "Empire Strikes Back" and her sex-slave role in "Return of the Jedi"), a backlash response to the growing autonomy of women in the 1980s. However, in "Star Wars," the film that entertained audiences in the era of growing political and sexual freedom, Leia embodies a feminist. She is tough and powerful. She is erotic and sexual, not whorish or cold and frigid like her earlier counterparts. She is the ideal feminist of the second wave. Despite all the other problems in the movie; an all-white cast, all characters from a certain class, "Star Wars" presented one of the first strong female characters in a mainstream, high grossing movie.
Source
I thought this would be appropriate, considering it is International Star Wars Day. May the 4th Be With You!
Thoughts? I agree with a lot of what's here, but I think there are some flaws in the argument as well (like the analysis of her relationship with Han) and a bit of skewing/over-simplification to fit her points.
Ontd_fem, who are your favorite female sci-fi characters? I'm going to go with Sam Carter, Aeryn Sun, River Tam, and of course, Starbuck and Athena.
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May 4 2010, 23:05:03 UTC 2 years ago
I think the analyzation of her relationship with Han is interesting: even as a traditionalist, he overcomes being threatened by her. He is attracted to her strong personality and her independence. I think that is commendable: she is a character with and without Han.
May 5 2010, 03:18:09 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:05:26 UTC 2 years ago Edited: May 4 2010, 23:06:30 UTC
THIS BITCH.
favorites otherwise:
redheads. get me every time. also six, but i apparently lack any gifs of her. i will use an icon of her instead. i also love inara and zoe and river, but they were in our lives for so briefly (fuck you fox etc.) that i can't rank them as favorites ever. inara may have changed my life a little bit though. key on my feminist journey etc.
i was originally going to write my senior thesis on women in scifi, but then my adviser was like 'you don't have to write an international affairs thesis but make your wstu thesis relate to IR'
and thus the story how my thesis was changed to european social policy. let us mourn.
(posts like this remind me why the internet needs an ontd_bsg)
May 4 2010, 23:23:04 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:17:56 UTC 2 years ago
Leia is amazing, and had a big influence on my sister and I growing up.
My other fave sci-fi female is of course Ripley who is just so fantastic my brain can't handle it.
May 4 2010, 23:19:44 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:18:49 UTC 2 years ago
Xena and her girlfriend, Gabrielle also make my list.
May 5 2010, 00:07:22 UTC 2 years ago
yes please
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May 4 2010, 23:25:38 UTC 2 years ago
Martha Jones, the only Doctor Who companion who's a Doctor in her own right!
I don't care if Liz Ten is a one off. She's the HBIC, move aside peons!
May 4 2010, 23:29:01 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:26:25 UTC 2 years ago Edited: May 4 2010, 23:29:36 UTC
May the 4th be with you all~
May 4 2010, 23:28:11 UTC 2 years ago
also, my new hero
May 4 2010, 23:29:42 UTC 2 years ago
Re: also, my new hero
I still haven't seen this movie :(Maybe for Mother's Day.
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May 4 2010, 23:31:47 UTC 2 years ago Edited: May 4 2010, 23:33:10 UTC
Oh, and Eowyn, naturally, but LotR isn't necessarily sci-fi.
May 4 2010, 23:31:51 UTC 2 years ago
And my favorite sci-fi ladies are Trinity from The Matrix and Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop. If we threw fantasy in there, then I also love Eowyn and Hermione Granger.
May 4 2010, 23:39:05 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:33:56 UTC 2 years ago
SADLY, MY ONLY AERYN GIF.
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May 4 2010, 23:37:26 UTC 2 years ago
I also adore Sarah Connor. Cameron, if a terminator can be considered female (I don't think she would identify as a woman, but she is perceived that way).
Rachel from Animorphs. She loves shopping, sarcasm, angsty hawk-boys, and killing aliens.
May 4 2010, 23:40:15 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:57:59 UTC 2 years ago Edited: May 4 2010, 23:58:48 UTC
I think someone is saying Uhura is awesome?
Yes. Yes, she is.
(orig sounded wrong)
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May 4 2010, 23:41:45 UTC 2 years ago
Also, if this included fantasy, I would include Eowyn and Hermione.
May 4 2010, 23:49:34 UTC 2 years ago
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May 4 2010, 23:46:46 UTC 2 years ago
Oh my god.
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May 4 2010, 23:59:53 UTC 2 years ago
WRONG. this is forgetting mon mothma.
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May 5 2010, 00:34:57 UTC 2 years ago
But seriously, Adelle DeWitt was A+++++++++
And then I second pretty much everyone else already mentioned, and add Sarah Connor if she hasn't already been mentioned.
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