This film revolves around a sisterhood of friends who share in one another's joys and sorrows. Set in a classic southern town in Louisiana, there is an added layer to the customary gender roles. Women are supposed to be pretty, polite and agreeable. The female characters run the gamut from Annelle, the naive newbie, to M'Lynn, the rock.
While there are male characters, they are almost ancillary. The original play actually had no male characters onstage.
Men tend to relate to one another while doing some sort of activity, i.e. Drum and his sons launching firecrackers into a tree to drive the birds out for Shelby's wedding in the back yard.
Women, however, relate to one another through face to face interaction and emotional connections. This is highlighted throughout the film.
M'Lynn: She is definitely the strongest female character. She thrives on control and appears to have a firm grip on herself and her family.
Shelby: Diabetic daughter of M'Lynn who is getting married. M'Lynn is very protective of her - sometimes even in a condescending manner. In one scene in the beauty shop, Shelby suffers from a diabetic episode and M'Lynn is forcing her to drink orange juice. Shelby tells her to stop, to which M'Lynn replies "I'd like to see you try."
Shelby, too, recognizes her mother's need for control. Upon the news that Shelby is pregnant - which is a high risk pregnancy - she tells M'Lynn "You're jealous, because you no longer have a say so in what I do and that drives you up the wall. You're ready to spit nails because you can't call the shots."
Shelby very much wants to be "'normal." She says pink is her signature color. She laments the fact that she has a disease that might leave her debilitated and she feels like less of a woman because she cannot give her husband children without a great risk to her own life.
Truvy owns the beauty shop where a lot of the movie takes place. It is the quintessential setting for female interaction. Truvy perpetuates the concept of the male gaze in that her job is to make women beautiful. She, herself, says that she hasn't left the house since she was 14 without "lycra on these thighs." Even Ouiser, the salty rich widow has her upper lip waxed while Clairee, the epitome of a southern lady indulges in a mud mask. Annelle, an awkward, conservative, almost homely woman is transformed into a more acceptable ideal of feminine beauty by the end of the movie - and, while it does seem to directly affect her self esteem, it is also a transformation for her boyfriend.
M"Lynn donates a kidney to try to save Shelby's life after Shelby experiences kidney failure. Unfortunately it does not save her and she dies. Up to this point, M'Lynn has exhibited nothing but strength. After the funeral, though, she unabashedly exposes her vulnerability in an emotional outburst that only her closest friends witness. It is during this monologue-ish scene that M'Lynn compares herself to men saying "I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something." She goes on to say "I've always been ready to go first." During the ordeal at the hospital Drum (Shelby's father) and Jackson (Shelby's husband) both had to leave because they could not deal with the highly emotional situation, thus further showing how men and women differ in their respective relationship roles. I believe that it is this emotional outburst allows M'Lynn to give herself permission to not be in control all the time. She even says "Maybe I should start having emotional outbursts at home. Maybe Drum would be pleased." It seems as if M'Lynn feels the need to be guarded with her emotions in an attempt to not show any weakness. In our patriarchal society any exhibition of emotion (other than anger) is a sign of weakness.
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