Suffragist in both of these films are depicted in so many different lights depending on whose eyes they are being seen through as in the case of women such as Alice, Lucy, Mable and Doris, the term suffragist represents their ideals, their dreams, their strength, and pride.In the eyes of the men depicted through out the film, these women suffragist were nonpatriots, "man haters...militant, radical, and angry" (Seely 1). For woman such as the character of Mrs. Banks we see the view point of men. This character was created by a man a thus her actions in the film, which seem more like the mocking of the "suffragettes", then as an empowering depiction, very clearly shows the ideals and feeling of the men who did not support such acts.
In watching both Iron Jawed Angels and Mary Poppins I can see the ideals that were placed upon women as a stereotype. Women were home bodies, who were incapable of thinking for themselves. There job was to either do as they were told by the husbands, at home, with the children, or they were to go to work under the hand of a boss (who more then likely was a man) and work without question or complaint. I see the most commonalities between these two films in the characters of Emily Leighton (Iron Jawed Angels) and Mrs. Banks (Mary Poppins). These two women are the mothers and wives in affluential households, with controlling husbands. In both of these women a dramatic role shift occurs. For Emily Leighton her passive and secret support leads her deeper into her on thoughts. She writes poetry in support of the cause but locks it in her desk. She secretly makes donations and wants no credit or publicity for her support. In the end the role of proper women of the times and her desire to see her daughters amount to more then the mere household role becomes her driving motivation to stand for the betterment of the future. For Mrs. Banks the shift is quit the opposite. Her obligation in life is to be a good mother and good wife. She gives up her activism when confronted with the idea that she was not being the family forward woman she should be.
In both films women are depicted as the weaker sex in the eyes of the men. The men often show there power and superiority by preventing the women from progressing. In Iron Jawed Angels the women make a fight to prove there equality where as in Mary Poppins the women simply play to the vanity of the men allowing them to continue on with their ideals of superiorty . By allowing the men to stand proud the women in Mary Poppins are doing nothing more then degrading themselves and their own opinions.
The interaction between the women in Iron Jawed Angels in the romantic sense was very interesting! I found Alice the most interesting character and could see where she would have had some common view points with Mrs. Bank ( Mary Poppins). Family is viewed as being the most important thing in society. And it is the woman's role to take care of and raise the children as well as run the household. Alice's refusal to get involved in a romantic relationship because she did not deem it fair for the other party involved mirrors the decision that Mrs. Banks' character makes about giving up her activism duties. She leaves the suffragettes work in order to take care of her family and be that glue that holds everything together. I do not agree with this idea by any means however. I feel that love is a strong enough connection and emotion that it can coexist with other passions in ones life. This is where I think Emily Leighton showed the strength a woman can have. Her love for her husband, her children and her cause were all able to continue and exist together, though it did encounter it's own set of bumps and bruises.
In one final note... I find it hard to credibly recommend watching Mary Poppins as a good movie to critique and compare to Iron Jawed Angels due to the serious and realistic subject area touched upon by Iron Jawed Angels. As it was so perfectly stated in Seely's text: "Often we underestimate the struggles women endure for their freedom" (Seely 40) These challanges were shown in a graffic manner that I have never been opened up to before. Being naive in my studies of the history of women, I had no clue that such brutal measures were taken in hopes of ending the suffrage movement. Mary Poppins was made to entertain and that is what it is good at. It was obviously written by a man several decades ago (much closer to the time of suffrage then today) so his view point is clearly seen. Nothing in this film can been seen as being realistic or meaningful except that it did teach us that great life lesson: "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down".
Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York University Press, 2007.
