Discuss the contrasting role of Women in both The Goddess and Naomi, and their roles in the portrayal of a modern women in the society during that time period.

The role of modern women in both The Goddess and Naomi is thought provoking in relation to the status of women in the Chinese society. Both these movies demonstrate how often women are objectified based on superficial standards and placed on different pedestals because of aesthetics. Because of this objectification, the true definition of a modern woman is often blurred, and subjectified to false connotations, where the ideals are incorrect, often to please a male oriented society, where the opinions of people around are more valued than those of an individual.
In the Goddess, a young woman who sacrifices her life for the welfare of her son, and succumbs to the life of prostitution against her own will is disgraced in the society because of her choices. Even though she has no control over it, she is out casted, living under the mercy of a gambler who blackmails her for the sake of her son.
On the other hand, in the movie Naomi, we see a man’s obsession to find the perfect “modern” girl. He satisfies his desires in the form a 15-year-old girl naive Naomi, who is more than eager to be his pupil. He aspires for her to dress western, speak fluent English and appreciates the art of dancing, fashion magazines and cinema. Soon, she manipulates him to be her puppet, fulfilling her desires through his bank account.
The movies make us question our judgment regarding what is a modern woman, and how often the perception is very superficial. According to “Modern Girl around the World: A research Agenda and Preliminary Findings” what defined a modern woman was “her use of specific commodities and explicit erotism.” Which means a modern woman was that who was sexually bold, and often dressed provocatively to entice people of the opposite sex. Based on the research, this definition of modern women came from different personas of women from around the globe who were looking to identify woman in a new light, for advertising purpose. This lead to superficial definitions of women's presentation in a society However due to this notion the concept of a modern woman became very male oriented in the society. The dressing status of a woman, or to be brusquer the appeal of a woman to a new aged man, was considered the definition of modern (something which we see in Naomi).
Somebody who dresses modern, speaks English and is sexually involved with various men, is considered modern in a cosmetic term, even though people don’t focus on how they present themselves. A woman who might not speak English, but understands the role of education can be defined as modern, whereas on the other hand somebody who dresses western but at the same time is unemployed and living off of another person, in reality is a stigma and a burden to the society. It often happens that the perception of women in society is portrayed through the clothes they wear, how they carry themselves as opposed to their contribution in a society, their opinions and the impact they have around their surroundings.
According to Joji the protagonist of Naomi, the female lead is the ultimate definition of modern with her western name and her attractive Eurasian features. He fails to realize that she is young, jobless and lacks an education to continue her life forward. She has no aspirations, other than the desire to own clothes, speak English and socialize with different sets of people. The role of a modern woman is misunderstood here because there is nothing modern about this character apart from her outer appearance. Jojie funds her love for theatre and music, but in return receives nothing. Towards the final development of the movie he is exploited into believing he is content, as long as he as a trophy wife to show to the world.
On the other hand the unnamed protagonist from the movie The Goddess is condemned to a life of sadness under the mercy of a man, who uses her hard work, and vulnerability to satisfy his gambling addictions. A prostitute by profession, she is condemned to a life of misery because of the choices she makes to give her son a better life. Because of this, her son is out casted where other parents demand the boy to be rusticated from the school so he doesn’t influence other children. In the end we see her giving up her son so he can grow up away from the dark shadow of his mother. Throughout the movie viewers realize all her decisions are based on what is better for her child, and in the climax she gives him up for his better future. She takes up prostitution so she can support her son, but finally due to her profession she is seen giving him up for his sake.
What is boggling as a viewer is the perception of Naomi and the unnamed protagonist in the society by the people around them. Naomi who manipulates Joji, and finally makes him her puppet is raised on a pedestal by him based on her glamorous looks. There is no attention given to her role in their life, and how little she contributes to the house. Throughout the movie she is seen as somebody who is the man’s puppet, but later uses him merely as a mean to support her new choice of lifestyle.
In both the movies the perception of the modern woman is very flawed. One cannot judge somebody to be modern based on their outer appearances. A woman’s individuality in a male dominant society is what should define the perception of their modernity. Naomi an illiterate is considered to be the dream of a man because of her acquired taste of arts, and her dressing sense, which were all shaped by Joji. Taken under his shadow at the age of 15, she has no real life experience. Even the choices she makes are not her own, but something Joji tutored her to like. In the end she is symbolic of a robot, doing and liking things which are expected and desired from her. Whereas in the movie The Goddess the woman is considered a stigma in the society because she doesn't succumb under the societal pressure. She makes her own decisions and bravely protects her son from the gambler, and hence is considered an abomination. Both the movies end tragically, and make viewers ponder over who in actuality is a modern woman in the society.