Week Four Blog
I think this movie really portrays the power men have over women, especially in the scene when the neighbor's boyfriend leaves her and she later sees him but can't confront him. She should have the authority to know why he left without telling her anything, but she feels by ignoring it she's doing the stronger act, when later she'll just cry about it. Alice as a young adult will consume all of the actions of the older women in her life. She also takes in the fact that her dad isn't around, and she thinks it's because her mother doesn't know how to keep him around. The neighbor also tells Alice that being beautiful is really all that matters in order to get a man, and to look for one who's "good in bed." A young adult hearing that is going to have no self-respect for herself when she's older. She should be loved by someone for her personality and intelligence, but she's being told and shown otherwise. On some level she feels comfortable without a boyfriend though, for example when the boy comes up and they tell him to say something otherwise he's wasting their time. Or when she beats up Kung-fu boy and doesn't let the "norm" of men being stronger get to her. I hope she can continue to think this way, but the women in her life don't seem to be the greatest examples which after a while may change her thinking.
In this movie, not only is gender a problem but so is age. When Alice goes to buy the jewelry and the man gives her the wrong change back, whether on purpose or not, she's being taken advantage of. Her mother expects her to grow up and learn this stuff right away instead of being told in a nice manner that she has to be careful in situations like that. Also when her mother tells her to do the dishes and she wants to be a child then, she's trying to use her power as a kid. She knows in certain situations being an adult or a kid will give her more power.
Alice loses some of her self-expression when the neighbor tells her she always needs to be beautiful. What if she is a tomboy? Should that really matter at her age? She also is limited by her social class. The fact that her mom can't buy her a sleeping bag makes all the other girls not like her anymore. She no longer has the option to be friends with whoever she pleases. When she is dressed up and walking down the street and the men are saying things to her, she realizes it feels weird. She can't control what they see or think. And that's a norm in society today. If you don't wear a lot of clothes, you're a slut, if you wear too many, you aren't looking for any attention from men. I think this really confuses her, that she's supposed to look pretty but that it makes her feel awkward. In that sense of awkwardness I think she loses some confidence, thus losing power.