Suffragettes, they were a real group of people in the early 20th century who did everything they could to draw attention to women's equal political participation and to fight for women's suffrage. Although the concept of "all men are created equal" was put forward in France's "Declaration of Human Rights" in 1789, it is a pity that "everyone" here does not include women who account for half of the population.
The core leader of this group of suffragettes is Emmeline Pankhurst, played by Meryl Priest in the film that chronicles that history. She appeared in the film for only a few minutes, and was rounded up by the authorities to give a brief speech, saying, "We don't want to break the law, we want to make the law."
The protagonist of this film is not a suffragette who actually existed, but from her we can see the growth and struggle of this group of people.
Made Watts is a female laundry worker who has worked in the laundry since she was a child. Her husband, Sonny, also works in the laundry, and they have a young son.
Watts didn't start out as a suffragette, but instead of expressing her opposition to suffragettes like others, she was always curious. Curiosity prompted her to decide to listen to a colleague's speech at the parliamentary hearing, but she sat in the hearing because her colleague suffered domestic violence and was unable to testify.
Watts' remarks at the hearing did not accuse anyone, but calmly described his situation. The unadorned fact makes one see through the injustice of women in society. When asked why she came here, she said, "I think maybe there is another way to live".
I like Mr. Dai Jinhua's interpretation of this film very much, so I want to record Mr. Dai's interpretation and my own thinking.
1. What does it take to be a suffragette?
There is one scene in the film that is unforgettable. Watts and other women waited outside parliament to announce the results of the hearing, and the women shouted "Liar" when they heard the lawmaker say "it's not going to change the law because of this."
Only these protests were met with violent beatings and arrests by the police. In prison, they went on hunger strike in protest and had to be force-fed. If we look at the historical records, we will find that the actual suffragettes suffered even worse, and some were even raped by the police.
When the news media stopped paying attention to them, when self-publishing agencies were shut down by the police, when continuous voice was no longer possible, they were forced to choose a more radical action - sabotage. Of course, the first rule is not to hurt people, and they did.
If someone accused them of using violence, Watts' answer to that question on his second jail term was the perfect counterattack.
In her sharing, Ms. Dai mentioned the experiences of her Taiwanese women's movement leaders and friends. They often have to face questions from adult children who feel they have abandoned their obligations and responsibilities as mothers. This is the social reality we have to face. These children are instilled in the process of growing up with the idea that "mothers should give everything for their children" and "mothers are wrong if they don't put their children first".
A woman should be a person first, then someone's daughter, someone's wife, someone's mother. These social attributes should not hinder or constrain her growth, after all, men are not required to give up themselves to be fathers, are they?
Women's activists not only have to fight for women's rights outside, but also face incomprehension and complaints from their families. This is what most women's activists have to face every day. Thinking of this, I can't help but feel that this group of people is even more amazing, and they can still hold on to their ideals when they are isolated and helpless.
2. Men's cowardice reflected in the women's movement
Teacher Dai pointed out that there is a sharp contrast between the hero and heroine in this film. Madd completed his self-awareness from an ordinary factory worker and grew into a staunch suffragette; while Sonny was on the contrary, he couldn't accept his wife's growth and couldn't bear the mockery of his co-workers, he just showed There was cowardice, and weakness and fear that he probably didn't even realize.
After Mad's first arrest and imprisonment, he did not go to redeem her, we can say that he was limited by financial reasons. But he didn't even pick her up, and after she got home, he spoke ill of her, asking her to stop these "shameful" activities. When Made asked him, "If we had a daughter, what kind of life would she have?", he replied coldly: "The same life as yours, the same life as my mother."
Many people said in the comments that Sonny was a straight man with cancer. After all, it can be seen from this conversation that he does not understand and disdains to understand what kind of life women live. But it seems not only that, I feel that he is even afraid to know what kind of life his mother and his wife live, because his subconsciousness knows that in their lives, there are no rights but obligations, and there is no gain but pay. And there was nothing he could do about it.
When she was forced into a desperate situation by life, the heroine realized that she could not even save her son according to the laws at the time, so she determined to become a suffragette. As for the male protagonist, he gave his son to someone else. Facing his wife's questioning, he just repeated the sentence "We were exiled". How cowardly, how incompetent.
Sometimes it's easier to avoid problems than to confront them. In a patriarchal society, not only women but also men are treated unfairly. But most men do not accept or refuse to admit this fact. It may be a self-protection mechanism for them so they can still pretend they are dominant and they can always bully weaker women.
3. The evil of mediocrity
Another important male character in the film is the detective in charge of tracking down suffragettes. His first appearance brought the latest camera, which can take candid photos anytime, anywhere without the need for a tripod.
The inspector also planned to turn against Watts. When Watts ironed the laundry factory manager, he came forward to protect Watts on the condition that Watts would provide him with all information. When he tried to convince Watts, he said, "I've seen too many girls who think like you", "You are just cannon fodder used by those big people", "Do you really think anyone will listen to you seriously?"
The rhetoric is all too familiar, and they always say it when trying to convince girls to give up. From the point of view of the inspector, everything the inspector does is devoted to his duties. But this constitutes precisely what Hannah Arendt calls "the evil of banality."
There is also a group of people in the film who are also very noticeable, that is, the heroine's colleagues and neighbors. After the heroine returned from prison, and after the heroine was kicked out of the house, they watched with indifference, avoiding the heroine like a plague god. There are many women in this group, just as there are many women who oppose feminism on the Internet today.
After listening to Mr. Dai's interpretation, we know that the British suffrage in those days not only required gender but also property. Not only do women have no right to vote, but also the poor. However, it is through the constant struggle of people like the heroine that women and the poor have won equal voting rights.
I often wonder if these people who should be fighting together because of their interests, but they stand by and even speak ill of each other, are their actions also considered a kind of "banal evil"?
Salute to the suffragettes!
The rights we take for granted today were won only by the great sacrifices and even the sacrifices of our lives. Never forget this, even if you can't be as brave and fearless as they are, at least don't hold back, don't sit on the sidelines, don't sit back and speak slanderous words.
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