Kate vs Kat: the Independent, Feminist Role Model

In the past one hundred years, one of the most important social issues has been the subject of equality. However, this has not always been the case. For centuries, western civilization was a primarily patriarchal society, but in recent years, this issue of equality has permeated all parts of our social world, including literature. Thus we find literary critics placing twenty-first century values on ancient works, hoping to find elements of social equality where, often times, there is none to be found. For example, critics in recent years have attempted to describe William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew as a feminist work; however, it is largely the opposite. Petruccio's actions can been seen as patriarchal, enforcing the generally misogynistic culture of the day, and Kate, the supposed feminist hero, is presented to both the characters in the story and the audience as spiteful, vicious, and generally spoiled. The only real reason to wed Kate, it seems, is for financial gain. However, modern critics still attempt to proclaim Kate as the model of female individualism. In Gil Junger's film adaptation of the play, 10 Things I Hate About You, the character of Kat transform into this feminist ideal. In the film, Kat is seen much in the same way as Kate from the play is by other characters in the film, but is presented to the audience, and thus later "tamed", in an entirely different way. Kat is a true individual with a sense of independence and a heart waiting to be won by a man who will accept her, temper issues and all. Conversely, the play portrays Kate as a spoiled brat who wants nothing but to get her way, and can only be won by someone strong enough to tell her what to do. These contrasting natures of these two characters highlight the patriarchal nature of The Taming of the Shrew. At the same time, they highlight the attributes of pop culture in the film which provide new insights to the play.
The main characteristic both Kat and Kate share is their