Alex False Dichotomy

It becomes clear early in the film that the audience must choose between supporting Beth or Alex (Thomas 2012). While Beth wishes to maintain her marriage with Dan and continue to raise a family with him, Alex would like to begin a family with him. Only one woman may fulfill her wish since the two relationships are mutually exclusive (Thomas 2012). Some audience members may first feel inclined to root for Alex. At the beginning of the film, she comes across as a strong, financially independent woman who demonstrates agency when it comes to her desires. However, as the film progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that Alex is the villain the narrative. Not only is she a demoralizing seductress that convinces Dan to break his marital vows,
In fact, Beth succeeds in an act of killing in which even her husband failed when attempting to drown Alex by force. However, it must be considered that this battle between the feminine and the masculine encourages postfeminist criticism. Besides the ways in which the film portrays the feminist character in a negative light, it creates a false dichotomy (Thomas 2012). The two contrasting characters suggest that a woman must be either a homemaker bound to the domestic sphere or a feminist career woman free to explore the public sphere. The film does not suggest a middle ground between the two spheres. This conflict between goals of women largely began during the decade in which the film was created due to the large amounts of women occupying professional jobs (Pompper 2017, 72). One must consider the value in postfeminism, which emphasizes the outdated nature of the feminist movement (through the third-wave), and instead recommends a view that allows for women and men to be treated equally (Pompper 2017,
By taking her own life and framing Dan for murder, audiences may have been more likely to see Alex as a victim than a villain. This ending would have combined elements from Madame Butterfly with postfeminist ideology. Alex, instead of Beth, would have been portrayed as the loyal character impelled to make drastic decisions based on her love for Dan. Like Madame Butterfly, Alex would commit the act of suicide, drawing yet another similarity between the two piece’s plots. Considering the connections between the two works were already there, allusions to the final scene of the opera may add intertextual value to audience member familiar with both works. Such viewers may remember the important concept found within the Madame Butterfly story of dying with honor. Madame Butterfly sings, “Death with honour is/better than life with dishonour” before taking her own life. Although the women would be seen as victims of suicide and male scorn within each their respective stories, a remembrance of the Japanese ideal of honorable death would caution one from viewing Alex’s suicide as a shameful act (as Americans may otherwise perceive such a portrayal in