Issue #1

Representations of Femininity
Essay by Rijn Collins

Discuss two representations of femininity.
What ideas about femininity do they convey?
How do they do this? Do the two images portray femininity in the same way?

In this essay I will examine two representations of femininity. The first image is a magazine advertisement for perfume, and the second image depicts a member of the female punk band, the Lunachicks, during a live performance. My aim is to analyse and compare the manner in which these representations convey notions of femininity.

Image One

The first image shows an Anglo-Saxon woman wearing a white wedding dress, with a soft white veil holding the hair back from her face. She is wearing minimal makeup and jewellery, and is holding a bouquet of pale flowers in her right hand, while her left hand is reaching out to preen her dress. A tall white door gilded in gold is open to reveal a small white-clad boy peering into the room, watching the woman in silence, while her gaze is directed down to her dress. The text of the advertisement is simple, merely the name of the product (’Beautiful’) and the company (Estée Lauder).

This image communicates several ideas about femininity. The most prevalent impression to my eyes is one of purity and innocence. This is primarily conveyed by the use of colour: the white clothing, flowers, decor and lettering, as well as the pastel flowers, all contribute to an impression of chastity and virtue, as in western society white is often used to convey these traits.

Another impression this image makes is one of quiescence and docility: the woman in it displays passivity, not activity. She is merely waiting, presumably until she can be led to her groom. She is gently holding the flowers with one hand, displaying a tendency in advertisements for women to merely caress an object rather than utilize it (White:1989:51).

The femininity represented in this image is modest and demure, evidenced by the fact that her head is down and her gaze is lowered in such a humble pose as to suggest she is not presenting herself to be admired but is in fact unaware of the fact she is being watched; thus we could be said to be viewing her from a masculine observational perspective (Brook:1997:106).

There is also an idea of maternity conveyed in this advertisement. The inclusion of the young child intimates that this stereotypically feminine landmark in a woman’s life, that of marriage, would therefore be followed by the bearing and rearing of children. It conveys the idea that the ideal hegemonic feminine role, that is, the female role most valued in our society, is that of wife, followed by mother.

To conclude this analysis, the advertisement suggests that to be a bride is an ideal representation of feminine beauty: virginal, docile and demure.

Image Two

The second image shows a young woman standing upright on stage, dressed in frilly shorts and a shirt that display a riotous clash of bright colours. Along her thigh and arms are colourful and detailed tattoos in a multitude of colours. She has short black hair, and her face is decorated with garish and exaggerated makeup. She is holding a microphone into which she is singing in such an impassioned manner that her eyes are closed and her arm raised, with finger outstretched, as if in illustration of her point.

This image conveys several ideas to me about femininity. The predominant impression is one of activity and authority; the woman in this photo appears to be in charge of the scene. Unlike the bouquet of flowers merely held in the first image, this subject is wielding the microphone and using it to vocalise her thoughts, as well as to amplify them.

She exudes confidence and boldness, standing erect and with her head held high. The positioning of her hands suggests that she feels strongly about her subject matter and is attempting to demonstrate a point to the audience. The fact that her eyes are closed does not suggest that we are watching her surreptitiously; on the contrary, she is totally aware that she is performing for an audience.

This image conveys the notion that each woman owns her own body, and can decorate it as she sees fit. The tattoos of this woman cost her considerable time, pain and money, and therefore show her ardour and commitment to her body. They can be seen as a statement of ownership and an expression of individuality; it should not be seen as a casual decision to mark one’s body in such a way, for “the symbolic investments which humans place on and in their bodies are rich, complex and extensive” (Corrigan and Meredith:1997:64). Likewise, the makeup with which this woman decorates herself can be seen as a parody of stereotypical femininity, or even a subversion of it; by marking herself in these ways she could be seen as ignoring the standards of society and defining the term for herself, based on what she values and admires. For example, amongst her friends and colleagues women who are heavily tattooed might be seen as extremely feminine, for, as Matthews (1984:7) states: “Each woman carries her own ideal of femininity, derived from her social world”.
To conclude this analysis, to me this photo is an example of a woman taking elements of stereotypical femininity, such as the makeup and the pink clothes, and adding her signature to them to produce her own distinct interpretation of femininity that is more flexible, and conceivably more fulfilling to her. She is not repudiating femininity so much as redefining it (Matthews:1984:8).

The images described in this essay offer two diverse representations of femininity. One, that of the demure and passive bride, represents a version of hegemonic femininity, whereas the second image displays a woman who has taken elements of that and adapted them to suit her own values and personality. This suggests to me that the hegemonic ideal is not the only available option to women: it is entirely possible to restructure and reclaim the very concept of femininity to suit the individual, and to establish an image of femininity that is satisfying and positive.

Synopsis: Society presents us with many diverse images of femininity, as shown by the two different representations discussed. However, it is possible for women to construct their own definition of femininity by rejecting the restrictive, hegemonic concept in order to produce a version for themselves that is fulfilling and gratifying.

REFERENCES

* Brook, Barbara. 1997. Femininity and culture: some notes on the gendering of women in Australia. In Kate Pritchard Hughes (ed) Contemporary Australian Feminism 2. Melbourne: Longman.

* Corrigan, Annette and Meredyth, Denise. 1997. The body politic. In Kate Pritchard Hughes (ed) Contemporary Australian Feminism 2. Melbourne: Longman.

* Matthews, Jill Julius. 1984. Good and mad women: the historical construction of femininity in twentieth century Australia. Sydney: George Allen and Unwin.

* White, Alistair. 1989. Poles apart? The experience of gender. Great Britain: Guernsey Press Company Limited.