Feminism In The Film Iron Jawed Angels

In the movie Iron Jawed Angels, I viewed the more deeply about the troubles and conflicts that Alice Paul and Lucy Burns had to defeat to complete their most desired goal which was to help women gain Independence, and achieve the right to vote in a male based society. All of these hardships that they went through were so significant because it was women like Paul and Burns that helped get the law for women rights to pass, women gained so many of the rights and the freedoms that we have today. It was to be arranged that women were to cook, clean and take care of the children. They didn’t have the right to vote, or make any changes in the world around them. Alice and Lucy became the change that they wanted to see in the world. It’s women like Alice Paul and Lucy Burns that had the determination and the strength to do what other women were afraid of doing, which was to voice their opinions in a society governed by men. They refused to work with the traditional system of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and calmly waited for the President, Wilson to decide that he wanted to support an amendment giving all American women the right to vote. Paul and Burns lead the National Woman's Party to picket in front of the white house from dusk ‘till dawn holding signs saying, “Mr. President how
long must women wait for Liberty?”Considering this action the public became very upset and reacted very negatively. They hurled objects at them, pushed them, and hit them. This broke out into a huge devastation when all of the women that were picketing went to jail, then were charged for “obstructing traffic” Being arrested did not stop the women from fighting for their rights. Inside the jail the women were robbed from their clothing, hung from the door frames by their hands, and they were treated with no respect. When Paul was thrown into solitary confinement she went on a hunger strike. Whenever she was asked why she was starving herself she said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” The other women began to follow Paul and they too went on a hunger strike. The women planned to get the word out into the media. This didn’t happen until Paul was aggressively force fed with tubes pushed deep into her nose, and down her throat. Paul wrote a note to the other ladies in the National Women’s Party saying how badly she was being treated, and how poorly she felt. The note was passed to Senator Layton when he came to visit his wife Mrs. Layton in the jail. Eventually the news got out to the public about how badly these women were being treated, because of the treatment they were released from the prison. I thought this movie was intriguing because the National Women’s Party fought so hard and went through so much suffering to get women their right to vote. The most interesting thing to me was when the women were thrown into the jail, and when Alice Paul was force fed because she wouldn’t eat was my favorite part. This movie was insperational because the NWP fought through riots, being arrested, and being treated with no respect during their stay at the jail. When the law passed on September 26th of 1920 it made me feel happy because the NWP was able to reach the dream of every woman in America. In conclusion Alice Paul and Lucy Burns were the heroes that will always be remembered for going through all of the trials and enduring the difficulties that they did.
In Iron Jawed Angels, I also saw the heartache and hard work that Alice Paul and Lucy Burns had to go through to fight for the rights of women. I watched carefully as these women voiced their opinion so demandingly and courageously that even in the male governed society they overcame their trial and errors. All of these obstacles that they went through were so inspirational because these women have shown us to always fight for what you believe in, even if everyone else is fighting against
you.