Mona Lisa Smile free essay sample

We can identify functionalist and feminist approaches in movie ‘Mona Lisa Smile. ’ To begin with, functionalism defends that gender differences, which are biologically inherited, between male and female contribute to social harmony and maintenance of family in terms of division of labour. Men and women must carry out such tasks which are corresponded to their sexuality. According to this, women should concentrate on home and family relationships while men perform outside as a â€Å"breadwinner†. In movie, we can see that girls are grown to provide great comfort, care and security to their husbands and children. Despite their well-education and brightness, they also believe that the systematical functionalist idea: â€Å"the roles you were born to fill. † The fact that â€Å"no woman chooses to live without home† is general sight of these girls, especially the best advocator of this: Betty Warren. Betty, her mother and many conservative women called women’s tasks as a wife and mother: ‘to work for Lady Liberty’. We will write a custom essay sample on Mona Lisa Smile or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They believe that ‘it is their duty and obligation to make good enough their place in the home and have an influence on children that will carry their traditions into the future’ which is the greatest reflection of functionalism approach. Also, Betty Warren is opponent of free way of thinking. For example, she always discusses with her friend Giselle and blames her because of her lax moral and she leads to fire of Amanda with her article in school newspaper by revealing Amanda’s contraceptive supply to students as a school nurse. According to her, these kinds of behaviors are not conformable to a woman’s nature and future expectation. In contrast; feminism advocates that there should not be discrimination between male and female and their division of labour that is resulted from their sexual characteristics. It also opposes to dependence of women to their husbands’ life. According to this approach, women should not accept the men’s exploitation on their free domestic labour in the home. Katherine Watson, the instructor of art history, is defender of feminism in movie. Although all faculties criticize her way of life and perception of independency of women, she continues to live as she believes. She also encourages the students to see their potential to be independent women. According to her, women’s life should not be shaped around marriage because women can form their family and business life at the same time. With her strong belief and slide show that reveals some newspaper advertisements which are related to the role of women in society, she affected many of her students, even Betty. In summary, both approaches can be identified with their representatives in movie.