论文总字数：37344字

摘 要

本文以女性主义的理论为基础，综合当前诸多的理论研究成果。通过浅析《律政俏佳人》的主人公艾丽的性格特点，讨论她身上值得广大中国女性学习的性格，分析了中国少数女性的现状，结合艾丽的性格长处对她们进行教育和鼓励。同时，本文还从女性主义文化角度分析社会对女性的隐性不平等以及女性主义对社会和个人的影响。本文的主体部分主要从三个部分来研究女性主义对美国女性的影响。第一部分，主要介绍女性主义及其三个重要的分类。第二部分有三个组成部分，分别分析了女主人公的性格特点和其经典语句以及电影中体现的隐形不平等。最后一部分阐述了女性主义对社会和个人的影响，以及90后女生的个人价值观。

关键词：律政俏佳人；女性主义；西方女性性格特点

Contents

1. Introduction.....................................................................................................1

2. Literature review.............................................................................................1

2.1 The Definition of Feminism............................................................................1

2.2 Major Categories of Feminism........................................................................2

2.3 Brief Introduction to Legally Blonde...............................................................5

3. American mainstream culture embodied......................................................5

3.1 Characteristics of Heroine in Legally Blonde..................................................5

3.2 Hidden Inequality in Legally Blonde..............................................................6

3.3 Classic Statements in Legally Blonde ............................................................8

4. The influence of feminism in American.......................................................10

4.1 The Influence in Modern Society..................................................................10

4.2 The Influence in Individual——Perseverance..............................................10

4.3 The Influence in Post-90 girls’ Values..........................................................11

5. Conclusion.....................................................................................................14

Works Cited...................................................................................................15

1. Introduction

The personality of Western women has always been outgoing, and now the 21st century, the Chinese women are having the trend to be strong women. The hero Ellie in the movie Legally Blonde, her personalities are worth a lot of women learning. She not only loves life and not be afraid of power, but also has the courage to defend their own personal independence and dignity. What’s more, she is willing to struggling for ideal and happiness in life. The thesis does a research on Ellie’s personalities, to identify positive elements to reveal women who lack of own values so that they can regain the confidence of a better life, and courage to pursue their own happiness. The thesis consists of four parts. In the first part, brief introduction about Legally Blonde will be given, then making a complete description about Ellie. Ellie’s includes high eduction and intelligent, to be proficient in fashion, to be good at makeup look and a delightful, pure sweet girl with a little silly. Then the mainstream cultural values will be given, including American and Chinese. The mainstream cultural values will be showed in the second part. In the third part, Comparison between Chinese and American feminism will be made. Finally, there is a conclusion to be showed to verify my opinion.

1. Literature Review

2.1 The Definition of Feminism

The development of the feminist theory went through three stages. The first stage is to emphasize equality between men and women for equal work power, economic power and legal power, the famous representative is Simone de Beauvoir. Second stage emphasize gender differences and different, as the representative are Tori Amos in British, Elena sue and Luce in France, and Anna in the United States. They thought, with the aim of equality between men and women as the women’s liberation is repeat and reinforce a given language, did not create a new language. In practice, ignoring the real differences between men and women, women from belong to one dominated by men as definition, and as the center of the structure. It is easy to think of China, although China itself is not western sense of the feminist movement, also does not have the corresponding feminist theory, but does not rule out since the founding of the women’s development in the practical level and forming a sort and isomorphism in the west.

Feminism is also called feminism, the feminist movement, women’s rights, it is a social theory and political movement that means to end the sexism, sex exploitation and oppression, promote equality and create sex class. Except in the criticism of social relations, feminists also focuses on the analysis of the gender inequality and boost the bottom, such as women and transgender rights, interests and issues.

Western feminism is produced in the European and American countries, in order to eliminate sexual discrimination and realize the equality between men and women as the target of trend and movement. In the 18th century after the French revolution, Allen published women and the declaration of the rights of citizens, marked success of the western feminism trend and movement. Nearly three centuries, the influence of western feminism is not only in the west, but also the world. At the beginning of the last century, Chinese intellectuals, introduced the word “feminism”, the western feminist movement and the feminist thoughts were also introduced, especially since the late 1980 s, because of reform and opening up, Women’s world congress for the fourth time held in Beijing in 1995, China"s feminist theory developed rapidly, and fruits.

2.2 Major Categories of Feminism

2.2.1 Socialist Feminism

Socialist feminism is a branch of feminism that focuses upon both the public and private spheres of a woman"s life and argues that liberation can only be achieved by working to end both the economic and cultural sources of women’s oppression. Socialist feminism is a two-pronged theory that broadens Marxist feminism"s argument for the role ofcapitalism in the oppression of women and radical feminism"s theory of the role of gender and the patriarchy. Socialist feminists reject radical feminism’s main claim that patriarchy is the only or primary source of oppression of women. Rather, socialist feminists assert that women are unable to be free due to their financial dependence on males in society. Women are subjects to the male rulers in capitalism due to an uneven balance in wealth. They see economic dependence as the driving force of women’s subjugation to men. Further, socialist feminists see women’s liberation as a necessary part of larger quest for social, economic and political justice.

Socialist feminism draws upon many concepts found in Marxism; such as ahistorical materialist point of view, which means that they relate their ideas to the material and historical conditions of people’s lives. Socialist feminists thus consider how the sexism and gendered division of labor of each historical era is determined by the economic system of the time. Those conditions are largely expressed through capitalist and patriarchal relations. Socialist feminists, thus reject the Marxist notion that class and class struggle are the only defining aspects of history and economic development. Marx asserted that when class oppression was overcome, gender oppression would vanish as well. According to socialist feminists, this view of gender oppression as a sub-class of class oppression is naive and much of the work of socialist feminists has gone towards specifying how gender and class work together to create distinct forms of oppression and privilege for women and men of each class. For example, they observe that women’s class status is generally derivative of her husband’s class or occupational status,.e.g., a secretary that marries her boss assumes his class status.

Other socialist feminists, notably two long-lived American organizations Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party, point to the classic Marxist writings of Frederick Engels (The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State) and August Bebel (Woman and Socialism) as a powerful explanation of the link between gender oppression and class exploitation.

On the other hand, the Socialist Party USA is an example of a socialist feminist party which is not explicitly Marxist (although some members identify as Marxists). The party"s statement of principles says, "Socialist feminism confronts the common root of sexism, racism and classism: the determination of a life of oppression or privilege based on accidents of birth or circumstances. Socialist feminism is an inclusive way of creating social change. We value synthesis and cooperation rather than conflict and competition."

2.2.2 Liberal Feminism

Liberal feminism, is refers to by liberalism ideological trend of the development of feminist thoughts. Liberalism in Western Europe in the nineteenth century, British political philosopher John Locke (John Locke) is one of the most important representative figure. At the political level, liberalism challenge was the idea of divine right of Kings and the political system of absolute monarchy, points out that the government must obtain the consent of the people; In the economic level, along with the capitalist market boom, the old feudal system for travel, financial, trade, trade restrictions have also been the challenge of emerging middle class, in the name of freedom, fight for more trade opportunities with accumulation of personal wealth. In the 17th and 18th century feminists will extensions of liberal ideas and advocate expansion to women and gender relations in the field of private. They think that if the divine right of Kings in the political field is not tolerable, so why family, still retains the absolute authority of the male parent?

Liberalism thought is the common nature of human reason, this is the reason why people different from animals, argues that the nature of woman and man, is the human nature (the human) and reason (rational), rather than reproductive (sexual).

Are the purpose and significance of the world, must be decided by the individual, rather than relying on the authority and the opinion of others, independent (autonomy) and self-determination (self - determination) is to worship the principle of liberalism, which is not affected by interference, decided to their own survival.

Equality is the core principles of liberalism, Locke think everyone shall have the right to do what she likes, not by the interference of others; By the same token, she must also respect the rights and freedoms of others, not to interfere in other people"s things. So individuals must obey the law and the principle of equality.

There are two aspects to equality, is the first to accept equality constraints, that is to say, we should accept the same legal restrictions; The second aspect that is the equality of opportunity, each person has equal opportunity to pursue the potential of self development and self expression.

2.2.3 Trans Feminism

Trans feminism is defined by Robert Hill, “a category of feminism, most often known for the application of transgender discourses to feminist discourses, and of feminist beliefs to transgender discourse”. Hill says that trans feminism also concerns its integration within mainstream feminism. He defines trans feminism in this context as a type of feminism “having specific content that applies to transgender and transsexual people, but the thinking and theory of which is also applicable to all women”.

Despite its relatively late introduction as a term, trans feminism has been around since the early second wave in various forms, most prominently embodied by thinkers such as Sandy Stone, considered the founder of academic transgender studies, and Sylvia Rivera, a Stonewall rioter and founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. In 2006, the first book on trans feminism, Trans/Forming Feminisms: Trans feminist Voices Speak Out edited by Krista Scott-Dixon, was published by Sumach Press.

2.3 Brief introduction to Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde, produced by MGM in the United States in 2001, is a youth comedy. The movie was made under the patriarchal system of the social background. Movie mainly told a story of a girl Ellie woods who graduated from Harvard and aspired to be a good lawyer, sticked to her dreams, and struggle to all kinds of ugly phenomenon. The film won $140 million in the worldwide. As a feminist movie, the movie also reflected the progress of feminist thought in a certain extent.

3. American mainstream culture embodied

3.1 Characteristics of Heroine in Legally Blonde

3.1.1 High Eduction and Intelligent

First, Ellie in the movie is not just with appearance, and nor absolute traditional meaning of “the happy housewife”, but a woman with high eduction and intelligent who went to Harvard with LSAT179 high marks. Although the film showed that love and family were seen as the first priority by Ellie and several other women, and with the shadow of the traditional female images in the beginning, she later Began to pursue her dreams, became the outstanding graduates of Harvard, and got achievement in her career. It has the certain progress to the traditional sense of the female image.

3.1.2 Proficient in Fashion

Ellie is a blonde, skin white, has a good figure, like a delicate barbie dolls. She is a homecoming queen, a girl"s chairman, is named to be the sweet heart of boys. She has also won the miss Hawaii. On the clothes, Ellie is Proficient in fashion and crazy with dressing up. She focuses on all kinds of fashion magazines, proficient in all kinds of brand clothing, even to the material and stitch of clothing. She likes to wear pink clothes, mostly sexy dresses, change with all kinds of fashion bags, wear variety of high heels and delicate bracelets and necklaces, or match the pink watch. According to lines in Legally Blonde, we know that Ellie has more than two hundred pairs of high heels.

3.1.3 Beautiful and Spirit

She is quite good at makeup look, especially for the eye shadow. She always makes herself look beautiful and spirit; Her hairstyle with different situations, matched with her overall clothing modeling, with the curly hair hanging down, the tall horsetail, nifty plait, etc. In addition, various details to allow herself to be more beautiful, she is also very care about, Such as: spraying perfume in the wrist and legs, spraying freshener in the mouth, will shave her legs when wear a skirt, etc. Even the pet dog she carries out, she carefully dress for it. For her own room and items, Ellie shall choose traditional exclusive shape and color. Such as: her room is all pink--pink wall, cabinet and sofa, flower, teddy bear, and delicate pink frame, heart-shaped decorations all on the table. Later, Ellie went to Harvard, in a boring black and gray, all sorts of her things were colorful which became a unique scenery, such as: orange computer, pink heart-shaped notebook, feather pen, even her summer intern application form is pink.

3.1.4 Delightful and Silly

On the character, Ellie is a delightful, pure sweet girl with a little silly. Main actress Reese said she tried to match drew Barrymore and Meg Ryan in the film. Ellie always appears well bred, shows sincere enthusiasm and wears smile to all. In fact, Reese later became a new generation of "American sweetheart". On the posture, Ellie always looks decent and charming. When walking, she would twist the waist, with the catwalk. In junior high school, Ellie"s mother taught her a male attraction technique, which makes the motion of bend to hold out a bosom. Later, she taught it to shop clerks and customers in the shop.

3.2 Hidden Inequality in the Film

End, though, the film reflects the progressive significance of feminism, but there is a hidden inequality in the film, men still dominant values, shape of Ellie and other female images and the ideal of feminism image still has certain gap. Much of the content first of all, the film reflects the love and marriage and family is a woman’s first priority, the heroine of the film according to male social values to adjust their own life. “Women understand that truly feminine women do not pursue their own careers, higher education, enjoy the political rights.” in the movie Ellie had a thought do Mrs. Werner hun ting ton iii, abandoned by her boyfriend, to save the love only one thousand was admitted to Harvard law school, whenever possible. Its fundamental purpose is to make yourself more conform to the men. Ellie’s boyfriend warner elite families, from the east coast of the United States for the blonde stereotype is low IQ. Ellie, after break up from yourself to find the reason, will win the love and marriage as his power into the legal profession. At the end of the day, seemingly Ellie is in initiative to pursue their own love, actually she plays a leading role, she did everything is in order to let your boyfriend to notice you and she has been imprisoned by the male mind.

In addition, the competition among women in the film and comparison is also around the men, women’s success is measured by whether for men. Ellie"s rival in love Vivian often deliberately show off their hands in front of Ellie diamond ring, or to Werner. When was Ellie, malicious damage, Vivian stretched out his hand and looked at the hand of 6 carat diamond ring, his girlfriend is also said to her, "at least you got the ring". From which it can be seen that the promise of love and marriage, guarantee and women’s value, the film shape of women should be restricted to "love", "family" and other traditional female role definitions.

Finally, the film"s climax, Ellie, as when the defendant"s lawyer, and eventually succeed. And win back is because she played a female special features, such as using the contacts with the fitness coach, insight on homosexuality, as well as about marcel, fitness beauty sense; To a large extent, she is relying on women’s perceptual thinking and intuition to “accidental” to win. Therefore, the film actually did not really recognize the equality of men and women in rational thinking ability, actually reflects the prejudice against women. In terms of love, take a sister in the film, for example, she was her husband out of the door, the skin relaxation, hip fat, but in the end because of the learned to attract men’s signature moves, learned to dress up oneself, let oneself more femininity, and won a new love. In male-dominated system in the society, therefore, the film reflects the male values, namely on the one hand, in some public sphere has a prejudice against femininity, on the one hand and by showing benefits of femininity, hope women keep, strengthening “carefully”, “love” and so on the feminine qualities, in order to satisfy men’s senses, consolidate the male’s dominance.

3.3 Classic Statements in the Film

This is Ellie Woods, the graduation ceremony of a paragraph: At the very first day at Harvard, a very professor quoted Aristotle,” The law is reason free from passion!” Well, no offence to Aristotle, but in my three years at Harvard, I have come to found that passion is the key ingredient to the study and practice of law, and of life. It’s for passion, courage of conviction, strong sense of self that we take our next step into the work! Remembering the first impressions are not always correct and you must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must have faith in yourself!

This is miss Ellie to nail salons(can also be called Boyle) show the effect of “bent and snap”: Trust me, you have all the equipment you just need to real the manual. I’ll show you a little maneuver my Mom thought me in junior high. In my experience, it has 98% success rate of getting a man’s attention, and when you use it has 83% rate of return on a dinner invitation.

This is the hero backed Ellie (as a blonde) a paragraph: Being a blonde is actually a pretty powerful thing ,you hold more cards than you think you do. I personally would like to see you take that power and channel it towards the greater good.

Here is the climax of the film, Ellie Woods to debunk the murderer: Is not it the first cardinal order of perm maintenance that you"re forbidden to wet your hair at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate? And would not somebody who"s had, say 30 perms in theirs life be well aware of this rules...You would have had to have found Mrs.Windham with a gun in her hand to make your story plausible, is that right?

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