A League of Their Own Feminism

During WWII, American women were encouraged to liberate themselves from the domestic sphere and take employment in factories as Rosie the Riveter became an American icon. Strong, independent females were suddenly in vogue, and the women in this film are delighted to discover they are a highly professional group of athletes – an image that was not condoned or thought of as being something of which the female gender was capable. In the film we see many ideologies surrounding gender that modern society and its institutions continue to perpetuate. One of these is the fact that sex sells, and a pretty woman is much more desirable than a plain looking one. We see this ex

. . .
dino notes, “Yeah, I’m just going home, grab a shower and shave, give the wife a little pickle-tickle, and I’m on my way.” In another instance when Mae slides safely into home, an announcer exclaims, “No wonder they call her ‘All the Way’ Mae.” We also see men try to encourage female athletes to act more like male athletes. When one player starts to cry after a harsh upbraiding by Dugan, he says, “Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball.” In another instance, we see a possible relationship develop between Dugan and Dottie, but she has a beautiful husband she loves at home and the relationship is never explored. Perhaps it is the institutions like the baseball industry and the corporate industry that have the most impact on ideologies of gender. During WWII, women became competent, hard-working skilled professionals who contributed to the economy and success of America at home and abroad. During this time strong, independent, resilient women was an image fostered by corporate America, the media, and the government. Nevertheless, many women experienced some cognitive dissonance over the transition from homemaker and the domestic sphere to professional and the social sphere. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert co
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Hall Fame, Walter Harvey, Riveter American, Dugan Dottie, Murphy Ohh, Dottie Kit, Yeah Im, Kit Kit, Dottie Henson, AAGPBL AAGPBL, gender ideologies, mae mordabito, league own, doris murphy, strong independent, women film, domestic sphere, mae mordabito doris, 1992 1-2, ernie capadino, ideologies example, kid sister kit, mordabito doris murphy,
Approximate Word count = 1739
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on A League of Their Own Feminism