The Three Women in Hitchcock's "The Thirty-nine Steps"

Ressie 2022-03-24 09:02:11




Hitchcock's film abandons concepts, slogans, and collage-style filmmaking techniques, and uses the logic of life to explain the layers of the story in an excellent way of driving ordinary people into desperation, and makes good use of light. The effect of shadows and shadows highlights the emotions and inner logic of life of the main characters. And the three female characters in "The Thirty-Nine Steps": the female spy Anna Bella Smith, the farmer's wife Margaret, and Pamela, who was kissed on the train, is a wonderful way to lay out the story. Narrative means and narrative techniques.


The female spy Smith is a key figure in the origin and development of the story. She only seeks to make money, and it doesn't matter which country or gang she is ordered to. It was she who fired a shot in the theater that caused the uproar and separation of the crowd. In the midst of the bustling and bustling, she followed the hero Hanna to the Brant apartment where she lived. It turned out that she was employed by a British spy agency and was followed by strangers for protecting the secrets of the British Air Force's air defenses. Her mission is to travel to Scotland to meet a man with a missing pinky finger on his right hand. She was eventually stabbed in the back and died, and she had the courage to give Hanna the address to Scotland so that the secret would not be leaked to other countries. A hand of patriotism was emphasized before dying, and it is likely that the trust stemmed from Hanna's gentleness and demeanor.


Hannah fled like a torrent to the farmer couple's home. The peasant woman Margaret has a somewhat elegant and virtuous demeanor. She was originally from Glasgow. She chirped and chirped on the horse racing street, and on the weekends, Argyle Street was very lively, where there were trams and lanterns. The crowd in front of the theater, inexplicably, is married to a rural villager who is much older than him. Margaret did not believe that her husband would really let Hanna run away, and lied that the coat belonged to her husband's son, and put it on Hanna. When leaving, Hanna kissed Margaret. The Bible and saved Hannah's life - the man with the severed finger was shot right on the Bible. Margaret was beaten by her husband for handing the farmer's coat to Hannah. The life that is not alienated and meddled by money is shining brightly.


Pamela, who was forcibly kissed on the train, is a very different figure from the dangerous economicist figure of a female spy, and a figure very different from the figure of a peasant woman trapped in family gender politics. As an urbanized exquisite beauty, she has the characteristics of individualistic soul style, such as: "Let the heroic people save it." When she learned that Hanna wanted to keep the secrets of the aviation bureau while on the road When she had the courage to do nothing and kept secrets with her life, the waves and emotions made her put down her colored glasses and turned to help Hanna realize her unfinished wishes and ideals. There is a scene in the play that shows that Pamela is unwilling to be pulled by Hanna, but Hanna takes her into the stove unconcernedly and bakes Pamela's clothes. The flame of enthusiasm and idealism burns in Hanna's heart, and Pamela is finally moved by his sense of sincerity, valor and sacrifice to join the explorer's difficult and arduous journey.


The three female characters represent the rebellion of the money-only theory, the kindness and weakness controlled by the rural family, the urbanized and civilized creation, and reflect Hitchcock's consistent theory of beauty redemption. The cultural concept and rational trade-off of the dilemma can only be completely changed by the state.

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Extended Reading

The 39 Steps quotes

  • Crofter's Wife: Do London ladies look beautiful?

    Richard Hannay: They do. But they wouldn't if you were beside them.

    Crofter's Wife: [to Hannay as her husband walks in] You ought not say that.

    Crofter: What ought he not to say?

    Richard Hannay: I was just saying to your wife that I prefer living in town than the country.

    Crofter: God made the country. Is the supper ready, woman?

    Crofter's Wife: Aye.

  • Crofter: Aye. I might have known. Making love behind my back.

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