Gender Roles in The Thin Man Essay

The period of the thirties was an offshoot of the roaring twenties or the jazz age, a time when women gained a heightened smack of prominence in the society after the First World state of war saw young men leaving their homes and their work in result to the nations call to arms (Freed gay, 1974, p. 374). Towards the end of the war and at the beginning of the mid-thirties, women became more in control of their liberty, proof of which is their newly recognised right to suffrage (Murphy, 1996, p. 52). They became regular members of the social workforce, thereby giving them a renewed sense of control over their lives.The flapperyoung women who defied the norms of what a buttoned-down woman is by move in casual sex and article of clothing short skirts, among otherstook the center stage, so to speak. As for men, such circumstances totally brought them closer to the temptation of pleasing the opposite sex. This is clearly portrayed in the 1934 film The Thin Man. In the film, come o ff Charles and his wife Nora represent the bread and butter of married couples whose lives are char shamerized primarily by the attitudes of the social elitesfun meant enjoying martinis and sleuthing.In a way, the couple captures the gender agencys of each attendant during the 1930s. Nora was a slopped heiress who had almost allthing at her disposal. She was beautiful and seemed to have a cult for essay owing largely to her living a life of liberty. She was the 1930s woman who saw life as the ultimate provider of adventure in all its daring forms. nick was a handsome man and a retired private detective who previously investigated and solved murders. He was the 1930s man who was deeply entrenched with his passion for resolving issues no consequence what it takes, much to the amusement of the female partner.In fact, Nora was more than delighted upon well-read that Nick accepted the task of investigating the disappearance of his friend Clyde Wynant and the close of Clydes fo rmer girlfriend, Julia Wolfe. It leaves little room to speculate that Nora was indeed the distinctive 1930s woman who seized her liberty as if it would never run out, displace her self to risky situations together with her man. She portrayed the woman who embraced the flapper culture with present arms, spending her time drinking alcohol or romantically engaging her partner.While she remained supportive of Nick like a female partner might usually commit herself into, she was on her own a bounteous minded individual. For the most part, Nick played the role of the adventurous economize which perfectly complements Noras interest in the kindred. He was someone who lived every danger with such boldness. He was someone who sought the pleasure of his better halffrom accepting her request for him to take the case to completely allowing her to partake in his drinking sessionsno matter what the cost may be.It goes to show that Nick was a man who shared entirely similar interests with his spouse and testament gladly fulfill whatever it is that will make his woman happy. It was his role to please his woman. On the other hand, it was the womans role to act is if she was herself a man, fully absorbed in exactly the same interests as the husbands. Here we see the approximate gender roles prevalent during the 1930s. workforce and women had more similarities than differences as far as their inclinations are concerned. To a sure degree, there was no woman. adult female drank, dressed and acted in an irregular so that they may be desired by the opposite sex, and actively participated in fairly dangerous tasks. Her liberty stood at the very summation of her character and this made her more appealing to every man. Towards the end of the film, Nick gives in to the implied gesture of Nora to spend the night together in the same bed. The scene is revealing insofar as it gives rise to the idea that women exerted a certain influence or power over men in particular when it co mes to passionate affairs.The 1930s woman had too much liberty, in fact, that she stack do anything she pleases and become pleased in the end. Nevertheless, the 1930s man equable had a lot to do with her sources of pleasure. References Dyke, W. S. V. (Director). (1934). The Thin Man. United States MGM. Freedman, E. B. (1974). The New Woman ever-changing Views of Women in the 1920s. The Journal of American History, 61(2), 372-393. Murphy, M. (1996). And All That Jazz Changing Manners and Morals after World War I. Montana The clip of Western History, 46(4), 50-63.