Presentations of female sexuality Sociologist Charles Henry Horton quoted, The more developed sexual passion is very largely an emotion of power, domination, or appropriation commenting on female and male sexuality. The feminine sexuality has always been a topic of intrigue in society and has been concealed through various channels. Writers, artists, poets all commented on the level of feminine sensuality in their works, all using metaphors and simile underlying these themes. The 1949 award winning, Gilda and Henry Jamess Daisy Miller both contain strong feminine sexuality implications that are buried in a subtle way. In this paper, both stories are examined deeply to extract these messages. Daisy Miller is a love story about a young lady who appears to be out of place in culture and society. It is about a girl who wants to be free and does so by showing her ignorance in society.
Daisy Miller has a theme of innocence misconstrued by sensuality, which brings great misfortune to the main character. Does Daisys death have to do with her innocence or with her ill-mannered life style? Daisy is a young American adult who was placed in a European environment without any idea of how to act. Some say that this is what Daisys innocence is all about, and others believe it is her own fault. She was brought up in a very lenient family who let the children do almost whatever they wanted too. This is proved in the opening scene of the book when Winterbourne tells little Randolph Miller; Take care you dont hurt your teeth” and Randolph replied, I havent got any teeth to hurt.” (James 6) The upbringing of Daisy and Randolph was from a workhorse father who could not find enough time out of his busy schedule to take a vacation with his family. The mother, Mrs. Miller cares for what people think of her children but lets them go about their business as they wish.
The Essay on Mrs Miller Daisy Mother Child
It was just the other day that I observed a mother having difficulty with her child, a five-year old boy who was in the midst of a temper tantrum in the supermarket. The mother stood there, frustrated by the child who was lying on the floor kicking and thrashing about as he screamed for some prized goodie. Not wanting to add embarrassment to her situation, I proceeded down the aisle. But as I ...
Parents have a big influence on their children in how they act as they grow up and how they act when they are all grown up. Daisys innocence in Europe could be a direct result of her upbringing by her parents. Daisy is described as a beautiful, sensual attractive well mannered yet subtly naive woman, able to capture any mans eyes. At the beginning of the story Daisy meets a nice American gentleman, by the name Winterbourne, who ends up falling in love with her. He does all that he can to try and be noticed by Daisy. They become quite good friends and he takes her to see some sites. After a long stay, it is time for Daisy and her family to move on to a new European city.
Winterbourne is much in love to never see Daisy again, so he agrees to meet up with her in a few months in the city of Rome. When Winterbourne finally arrives in Rome he notices Daisy with an Italian companion with whom she spends all her time. Winterbourne makes it clear that he has many feelings for Daisy. Winterbourne says; Youre a very nice girl, but I wish youd flirt with me, and me only”(James 61).
His perception of her innocence had completely sealed his common sense and had made him gullible. He thought she was incapable of being with someone else after the amount of time she spent getting to know him.
Throughout the story, Daisy repeatedly flirts with Winterbourne making him believe that she is interested in him, a promise as frivolous as a treasure hunt. She appears to be interested in Winterbourne, but she also appears to be interested in her Italian friend Giovanelli. Many people begin to talk about her behind her back, and how she is not very proper. Are the rumors solid or it a sign of her innocence misconstrued by society and her inner feelings aloft in her judgment? Does she just not know any better than to flirt with multiple men in this society at that time-period? Many people believe Daisy is not as innocent as she appears. Some feel that she knows exactly what she is doing but takes advantage of her portrayal as being naive. Henry James puts this in the story to show that Daisy is not a polite and charming girl. He points out that she just like everyone has flaws. The question of Daisy and her innocence does come up numerous times throughout the novel. Winterbourne grows extremely jealous of Giovanelli and the time he spends with Daisy.
The Essay on Mrs Walker Daisy Winterbourne Aunt
... Daisy believes in her innocence that, they are only pretending to be shocked. Winterbourne later comes across Daisy and Giovanelli ... especially Daisy. Winterbourne defends them claiming, they are very ignorant very innocent only, but not necessarily bad people. Winterbourne soon ... and others so many times before. The aristocrats continue to gossip about Daisy, but Winterbourne no longer defended her. ...
Winterbourne is also confused because Daisy says she likes him but she spends all her time with Giovanelli. Winterbourne and Giovanelli are aware of Daisy and her innocence because they state it at the end of the story. They both say; She was the most Beautiful young lady I ever saw, and the most amiableThe most innocent!” (James 79-80) The reason they refer to her in the past tense is because she died of Roman Fever in the end; a fever many believed was caused from staying out past dark. In fact Daisy stayed out past dark no matter what people had said about her. She was letting the suppressed inner feeling let out and the consequences were very crucial to her outcome. Just before she died, Winterbourne found her late at night with Giovanelli at the Coliseum. Who should people blame for Daisys death? Should people blame Daisy and her innocence? Many people wanted to blame Giovanelli but in fact there was no other person to blame but Daisy. Daisy was quoted saying; I dont care whether I have Roman Fever or not (James 77).
This shows that maybe daisy is not as innocent as she appears. Maybe she knows exactly what she is doing or maybe she just does not care for following rules. It seems as if Daisy is not as innocent as she may appear. Daisy was a beautiful you lady in which many men adored. Did Daisy know she was doing a wrong thing in society by spending her time with men at all hours of the day and evening or was it simply a cry for her feminine sexuality? Daisy may in fact have not been as stubborn as she appeared, but looking to fulfill her quest for happiness. Daisy was a unique person and in fact taught the European culture a thing or two. Daisy and her innocence brought people to see things they have never seen before.
The Essay on Human Sexuality
Human Sexuality My sexuality began in my mothers womb after conception and continued thereafter on May 23, 1978 with my twin sister. Although my twin and I have many similarities we are fraternal due to opposite genders. I probably began to realize my gender as a male while my parents use to change me and I began to explore my own body. Growing up as a male was something I considered very special ...
Gilda is a classic movie that contains the most famous role and peak performance of the stunning, glamorous, and provocative Rita Hayworth. In this movie, she exhibits her lustrous and chic eroticism, the sophisticated message in female sexuality. She appears to have the sensual eyes and looks to accord with her voluptuous body. She is represented as a prize that cannot be earned; the forbidden apple in the Garden of Eden. Director Charles Vidor used her as lavishly on this film, helping her to reach her apotheosis as the reigning Hollywood 40s love goddess with this immortal role (Dirks).
Film Posters hailed her: “There NEVER was a woman like Gilda!” With the connotation of both homosexuality between Johnny and Mundson and sexuality between Johnny and Gilda, the movie is full of intense feelings and hormone inducing scenes. The movie had several implications of sexuality at various scenes. Hayworth’s most famous scene is the seductive striptease when she only removes long black satin gloves from her arms. Rita Hayworth’s life was forever affected by her role, as she once reportedly said: “Every man I knew had fallen in love with Gilda and wakened with me.” (Dirks) The complex, eccentric, story was in keeping with the prevailing attitudes of the American post-war era, a time period where society was changing but still very old fashioned towards sexuality and its thematic representation.
A notable part of the movie that is very suggestive of a sexuality theme is the episode where Mundson enters his inner bedroom suite with Johnny, with Gilda playing “Put the Blame on Mame.” As Mundson introduces his new raucously wife, the film’s femme fatale to Johnny is revealed in the following few lines. Mundson: Gilda, are you decent? Gilda: Me? (She gives a long, sensual look at Johnny, and pulls up one side of her strapless dress) Sure, I’m decent. Gilda also has her innocence misconstrued, as Daisy, at least to her husband. Johnny is like Winterbourne and Mundson like Giovanelli in this triad intrigue. She is the pleasure-seeking, enticing woman in both the actors life. In her first screen appearance as she throws back her head and tosses her hair, she responds sexily. Her thick mane of hair is sent flying.
The Essay on Lives Life Movie Film
Life's a Bitch Life's a bitch is a movie filmed out of Mexico, which examines the life of three individuals who are all indirectly involved in the same car crash. The sequencing of the film is much like director Quentin Tarantino's Pulp fiction, in which several lives are separate, but related. Nonetheless, the movie was very interesting. Three lives were viewed, a young man and his love for his ...
Her presence splits the semi-explicit liaison between her husband and the hired help. Mundson solemnly tells his wife to dress for her first appearance in the casino: Mundson: Look your best, my beautiful. This will be the casino’s first glimpse of you. Gilda: I’ll look my very best, Ballin. I want all the hired help to approve of me. In conclusion, both stories portray sexuality in the form of innocence where both females had released their urges freely, without the need for societys constraint. Henry James had portrayed the femme fatale in his work underlined in a very controversial way as the writer of Gilda had shown with his characters hedonistic ways. The message of sexuality was included in a way to the constraint of the society at the time period in discussion.
Work Cited Tim Durks Gilda 1946 Reviews Greatest Films. 1996. Retrieved December 20, 2005. http://www.filmsite.org/gild2.html James, Henry. Daisy Miller. New York.
Tom Doherty Ass., 1988.
