Overturning and Mocking Orthodox Patriarchy

1、Overturning and Mocking Orthodox PatriarchyGu+Lan【Abstract】Traditionalmoviesfeaturemenwhoarestrong，powerful，intelligent，resourceful，womenjustbeingpassiverolestofacilitatethecharacterizationofactivemenroles，evenifthemalecharactersarecharacterizedasvillains.Thepurposeofthearrangementoffemalecharacters

2、inmoviesistodrivethenarrativeoftheplot，topositionfemalecharactersastheobjectofgazesoastoprovidesexualpleasureformalespectators.Thistraditionalcharacterizationoffemalesinmoviesistherepresentationoftheorthodoxpatriarchy，intentionallyorunintentionally.Wheras，analyzingfromtheperspectiveofmalegaze，themov

3、ie，Taxi，completelyoverturnsandmockstheorthodoxpatriarchy.ThekeycharacterinthemovieisBelle，askillfulfemaletaxidriver，playedbyQueenLatifah.Themalecharacter，AndyWashburn，ischaracterizedasbeingawkward，unmanlyanduncollected，inneedofhelpfromBelle.Thisessayanalyzesthecharacterizationofthekeycharactersinthe

4、movietoillustratehowitoverturnsandmockstheorthodoxpatriarchy.【Keywords】overturn；mock；orthodoxpatriarchy；malegaze.IntroductionBelleisatypicallytalkativeblackwoman，whousedtodelivertake-outs，butgetstiredofthedeliveryjob.Sheturnstotaxidrivingbecauseofheroutstandingdrivingskills.Sheissatisfiedwithherjoba

5、sataxidriverandbecomeswell-knownforherskillsofdrivingataspeedof135milesperhourinthestreet.Washburn，anawkwardpoliceman，hasbeensufferingcontemptfromhisboss，awoman，andwantstosolvecasestowinothersrespectsback，sincehescrewedupinadrugcase.Meanwhile，agangoffemalerobbersfrequentlyrobbanksandgetawayfortheiro

6、utstandingdrivingskillsandresourcefulness.WashburnseesBellesgreatcompetenceandpersuadeshertohelphimtocatchtherobbers.Theessaywillanalyzehowthemovieoverturnsandmockstheorthodoxpatriarchy，soitwouldbebettertoexplaintheterm“patriarchy，“malegazeand“to-be-looked-at-ness.“PatriarchyPatriarchyisasystemoffam

7、ily，society，ideologyandpolitics，amechanisminwhichmalesdominatefemales.Inthissystem，malesdecidethesexualroleandsocialstatusoffemalesthroughmalepower，directoppression，rituals，traditions，laws，language，custom，rites，educationanddivisionoflabor，andplacefemalesundertheruleofmales.“MaleGazeand“To-be-looked-

8、at-nessLauraMulveyexploresthesexualaspectsofvisualpleasuresthatderivefromthewatchingofnarrativecinemaofthedominantHollywoodtype.Shemaintainsthatnarrativecinemaprovidestwomainformsofpleasures：scopophiliaandidentification.Scopophiliareferstothesexualpleasurederivedfromlooking.Initsextremeformthispleas

9、urebecomevoyeuristicthe“perversionofscopophiliaistobecomea“peepingtom.Scopophiliadependsonaseparationoftheviewerfromthatwhichisbeingviewed.Werelookinginuponasituationoratext.Ingeneral，wederivepleasurefrom“usinganotherpersonasanobjectofsexualstimulationthroughsight.“Inaworldorderedbysexualimbalance，p

10、leasureinlookinghasbeensplitbetweenactive/maleandpassive/female.Thedeterminingmalegazeprojectsitsphantasyontothefemalefigurewhichisstyledaccordingly.ConventionalHollywoodcinemadisplayswomentobelookedatbymento-be-looked-at-nessofwomen.Menareactivewithinthefilmitselfandtheirlooking.Womenaretobelookeda

11、t.Ifspectatorsbecomefixatedontheimageofthewomandisplayedbeforethem，thentheywillnotbeintegratedintothenarrativeflowofthefilm.Overturningandmockingoftheorthodoxpatriarchy1.Belle，characterizedinthemodeofconventionalmalecharacter，overturnstheorthodoxpatriarchyBelleisatypicallytalkativeblackwomanwhousedt

12、odelivertake-outs，gettingtiredofthedeliveryjob，turnstotaxidrivingbecauseofheroutstandingdrivingskills.Shebecomeswell-knownfordrivingatthespeedof135milesperhourinthestreet.Drivingatsuchaspeedterrifieseventhemalepassengerandthepoliceman，Washburn.Thestrikingcontrastbetweentheterrifiedfacesofhermalepass

13、engerandherthrilledfacialexpressionsignalstotheviewersthatthefemalecharactertakestheroleofmalecharacterinthemovie.Bellesroleinoverturningtheorthodoxpatriarchycouldbeseeninfouraspects.First，shedrivesataterrifyinghighspeed.Stereotypically，womenarelessadventurous，incapableofdealingwithmachines，whileBel

14、ledisplaysneitherofthesetraits.Belleknowseverythingaboutcarsandlovescars.Shealsoenjoysdrivingcarsatsuchhighspeedthateventerrifiesmales.Suchcharacterizationofafemalecharactershatteredthesubmissiveandsubordinatedroleofthefemaleinthesystemoforthodoxpatriarchy.Second，sheisgoodatreasoning.Inchasingtherob

15、bers，Bellereasonsoutthepossiblehidingplaces，escapingroutes，escapingtricksofthebankrobbersandsuccessfullyhelpstocapturetherobbers.Reasoningisconsideredtobetheabilityonlymaleacquired，accordingtoorthodoxpatriarchalview.Thus，themovieoverturnstheorthodoxpatriarchyagain.Third，sheenjoyscarracing.Carracingi

16、sconsideredtobeagamethatcouldonlybeplayedbymen，whileBellerealizesherdreamofdrivingaracingcarandwinsrespectsfromhermalecompetitors.Again，thisisanotherpointthatdoesnotcomplywiththeconstructedfemalefiguresintheorthodoxpatriarchysystem.Fourth，sheisstrongenoughtobehelpfulformen.Inthemovie，Belleteachesthe

17、policeman，Washburntodriveacar，andhelpshimtoovercomehisnervousnesswhiledriving.ShealsohelpsWashburntocatchtherobbers.Washburnwouldnotsucceedwithoutherhelp.2.LieutenantMarta，afemaleleaderoftheeighthprecinctofthepolicedepartment，givesorderstoagroupofmalestaffInthesystemoforthodoxpatriarchy，malesdecidet

18、hesexualroleandsocialstatusoffemalesthroughmalepower，directoppression，rituals，traditions，laws，language，custom，rites，educationanddivisionoflabor，andplacefemalesundertheruleofthemale.WheraswecanseehowthecharacterizationofMartaoverturnstheorthodoxpatriarchy，fromthefollowaspects.First，sheisthechiefofagr

19、oupofmen，policemen.Thewordpolicemanrevealsthatitisanoccupationformen，notwomen.Inthesystemoftheorthodoxpatriarchy，womenareconsideredtobeweak，stupid，submissive，andincompetence.However，inthemovie，Martaischaracterizedwithpositivemalefeaturessuchasbeingcompetent，enterprising，brave，havinleadership，aperfec

20、tmaleimageconstructedbyorthodoxpatriarchy.Suchanimageinsideafemalebodysatisfiesthemaleimaginationofaprettywomanwhichprovidessexualpleasureforthemale.Second，sheissuesorderstoagroupofmen.Inthesystemoforthodoxpatriarchy，womenareplacedundertheruleofmen.ThemovieplacesMartainthepositionofamangivingordersa

21、ndMartaplaystheroleofissuingordersnoworsethanaman，ifnotbetter.Inshort，thecharacterizationofthetwofemalesoverturnedthefemalerolesinthesystemoftheorthodoxpatriarchybygivingthefemalecharactersthegoodqualitiesthatcanbeonlyfoundinmales.Tosomeextent，itisanattackontheorthodoxpatriarchy.3.Agangoffemalebankr

22、obbersbeyondthearmofthepoliceAgangofrobbersrobbedacoupleofbanksandsuccessfullyescapedthepolice.Ironically，thepolicehadgreatdifficultiesincatchingtheserobbers，sobankrobberiescontinuedtooccur.Analyzingthecharacterizationoftheserobberscouldprovideustheinsightintohowthemovieoverturnsandmockstheorthodoxp

23、atriarchy.First，therobbersarefemaleinsteadofmale.Inthesystemofpatriarchy，womenaredepictedasbeingsubmissive，stupid，weak，butthisgangoffemalerobbersareneithersubmissivenorstupidnorweak.Theyareintelligent.Takingadvantageoftheimaginedfemalefeaturesinthesystemoftheorthodoxpatriarchy，theyrobbanksundertheca

24、mouflageofwell-dressedmentoescapethepoliceandleadtheirinvestigationintoadeadend；theyshowtheirfemininitywhilecomingacrossthepoliceinvestigationtomakethemlesssuspicious.Theirintelligenceoftakingadvantageofmansstereotypedknowledgeofwomenismoreofamockingoftheorthodoxpatriarchythananoverturnofit.Second，t

25、hereisastrikingcontrastbetweentheirfemininityandbank-robbingskills.Theyareattractivewithslenderlegs，beautifulblondhairandfinecurves，andsmilelikeangles.Contrastingly，theydrivebetterthanmen，leavingthechasingpolicebehind；theyfirelikemenwithoutfearsofhurtingothers.Thephysicalappearanceoftheserobbersisan

26、objectofmalegazeinthesystemoforthodoxpatriarchy.Thepurposeoftheirexistenceistoprovidesexualpleasureforthemalespectatorsinsideoroutsidethemovie.However，thecharacterizationofthemwiththemostdesiredphysicalappearanceandthebestmalequalitiesismorethanprovidingsexualpleasureforthemale.Themovieusedthefemale

27、featuresdesiredbymalestoridiculeandopposemales.TheoverturningandridiculingcometoaclimaxwhenMartaisbeingsearchedbyoneoftherobbers.Thedepictionofthesceneis，tosomeextent，eroticbothtothemaleandfemaleviewers，insideoroutsideofthemovie.4.Washburn，anawkwardpoliceman，overturnstheimaginedmalefeaturesinthesyst

28、emoforthodoxpatriarchyJudgingfromtheimaginedmalefeatureasdefinedinanorthodoxpatriarchalsystem，menlovehighspeed，adventures，thefeelingofhavineverythingundercontrol，dealingwithmachines，whileWashburnhasnothingtodowiththesemaletraits.Heisterrifiedinthecardrivenatahighspeed.Unlikeaveragemenwholovecarsandh

29、avegooddrivingskills，heisunabletodriveacarskillfully，evenifinanemergency.HisawkwardnessindealingwithcarscontrastswithBellesskillfulnessineverythingconcerningcars.ThedislocationoftheroleofBelleandWashburnisoneofthestrikesontheorthodoxpatriarchy.Menactlikewomen，wheraswomenactlikemen.Inotherwords，thecharacterizationofWashburnsawkwardisamockattheorthodoxpatriarchysystem.AnotherblowonthepatriarchysystemisWashburnbeingplayedbyBell.OnesceneofthemoviedepictsWashburntryingtogethisbadgebackfromBelle.Bellehidesthebadgeinherhand，successfullykeepsWashburnfromtakingitaway