The Unrealistic Expectations Of Women In The Film Mona Lisa Smile

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The Unrealistic Expectations Of Women In The Film Mona Lisa Smile

Being a woman is hard, there are unrealistic expectations about the way women are supposed to look, act, speak, and even think. These expectations can be damaging, they make young girls believe they are supposed to be something other than themselves. They think they have to dress a certain way in order to find a boyfriend, they think that they are defined by whether or not boys find them attractive. Women should never be made to feel that their identities are dependent on the men in their lives, and it’s sad they still do.
In the movie Mona Lisa Smile (2003) the intricacies of being a woman in the 1950’s are showcased in Wellesley College, a prestigious all girls school. This movie brings to attention many of the pressures women faced in society at that time, and continue to face today. There is an emphasis on the girls to be the perfect housewife, and that finding a husband was their ultimate goal in life. This isn’t a pressure women feel as strongly today, but there is still a degree of fear around the idea of never finding a husband. This overwhelming pressure for women to be perfect specimen of obedience and grace has been challenged, and fought against with tooth and nail, but somehow still exists today. It is less obvious that women are being told that …show more content…
The fact that she starts her journey chasing after a man doesn’t negate the strength that she shows, sometimes the reality of being a woman is being in love. Elle Woods goes above and beyond, and shows the being smart and being pretty don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In a world that tries to tell women that all blondes are stupid, and all nerdy girls are ugly, this is an important message for girls to receive. A girls intelligence isn’t limited, or determined by, her

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