The Women’s right movement has been misrepresented in the media since its introduction in the mid-late 1800’s. Sexism and male chauvinism had its grip on the world since the beginning of time, and still to this day. Recent media representation of Women’s struggles in society such as Promising Young Woman and the Box office hit ‘barbie’ talks of the unrealistic and suffocating standards that have been set before us and have been received positively by their audiences. They have made people of all genders consider how far we have come, and how far we must go. One of the earliest acknowledgements of the suffragette movement of the 1910’s is the 1964 film ‘Mary Poppins’
In Mary Poppins we meet Mrs. Banks, The bumbling housewife of Mr. Banks and mother to Jane and Michael. She is introduced with a loud and empowering tune ‘sister suffragette’ (linked below) in which she sings about their cause. To quote the song; ‘No more the meek and mild subservient we! We're fighting for our rights, militantly! ’The Character of Mrs. Banks is represented as incompetent, and her inability to care for and control her children is the whole reason the banks family needs a nanny to begin with. Juxtaposing her strong feminist attitude is her husband, Mr. banks, A string willed businessman who is introduced in the song ‘life I lead’ Which in summary acts as a complete bulldozer to his wife’s introduction. In the song, he speaks of the patriarchy that he lives in, both in his home and in society ‘I treat my subjects: servants, children, wife, With a firm but gentle hand. Noblesse oblige!’ Noblesse oblige is a French expression, meaning people that hold such a status are required to fill societal roles. This further proves his distaste for his wife’s ‘hobby’ and would rather her stick to the traditional roles he has set.
The reason that the character of Mrs. banks is such a misrepresentation and satirical take on a feminist woman is her flawed character. Mary Poppins is introduced as a mediator, not only someone to look after the children but someone to bring the family back together so she is no longer needed. By the end of the Film, Mrs. Banks has abandoned her feminist attitude and is instead brought back to her ‘responsibility’, Looking after the house and her family. This is the films idea of bringing the family back together. The wife is slotted neatly back into the mould that society has given her, obedient and happy. The only change in Mr. banks’ life is he becomes happier and gets a promotion, a partnership in the bank. Mrs. banks even gives up her suffragette sash, a key identifiable element in her characters costume, to fix the kite. The kite serves as a metaphor for their family within the film, with Mr. banks deciding to hide away in the basement to fix it after he is fired from his previous job. While on the surface this serves as a positive message, the fixing of a broken family, The sash represents her morals, the movement she stands for, and she eventually must give up a cause she was so enthusiastic about to fix her family.
To contrast this negative representation of feminism, I will be comparing it with the May 2020 News article ‘Leaving all to younger hands’ by Susan ware (linked below) which talks of most elements within the suffrage movement. Ware defines the suffragettes as ‘the first woman historians’ the people who paved the way for the women of the future to continue building upon the movement that the 19th amendment started. I specifically mention the 19th amendment because although it does overshadow the passages before it and alienates certain voters, It was the first legal and formal declaration of women’s right to vote in the west, because it was in the US. Ware also mentions in specifics the solidarity between women at the time and the power that came from it. To Quote her article ‘Participating in the suffrage campaign provided women with the kind of exhilaration and camaraderie often described by men in periods of war or political upheaval. The sisterhood crafted by these women still stands to this day. Of course, they still had their faults. Racial inequality was still a prominent issue that Ware mentions in her article, there was often split in the fight of what is more important, women's rights or racial equality. Unfortunately that was the world the lived in, and each cause separately did get the respect they fought so hard for, and both are still prominent issues in todays society.
To conclude, Every single section of Wares article is a love letter to the history of the feminist movement. The women of history were strong willed, independent, and admirable. They had a determination that was completely torn from the character of Mrs. Banks and thrown away to satirize a powerful and serious cause, to repress women yet again, and deprive them of the positive representation they want.
Wares Article - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/leaving-all-to-younger-hands-why-the-history-of-the-womens-suffrage-movement-matters/#:~:text=The%20campaign%20to%20win%20passage,time%20increase%20in%20voters%20ever.