Collage of Western Idaho
Film Analysis
“Jessica”
Sondra Jones
English 102 034W
Leslie Jewkes
7 November 2011
In the film simply titled, “Jessica” a striking young American travels to a small village in Sicily to become the local midwife. Though proficient in her trade, she creates an uproar from the local woman because their husbands and brothers are attracted to this lovely woman. The women of the village chose to deny intimacy to their husbands as punishment for giving attentions to the unknowingly seductive midwife, Jessica. This film aims to both teach women to be submissive to their husbands and for each member of the community to embrace the tasks society demands of them.
Filmed in 1962 (IMDb) the film was geared toward an adult audience that was coming out of World War II and was starting the Civil Rights Movement. The 1950’s was also the time when the baby boom started. “Gender roles were strongly held, girls played with Barbie dolls and Dale Evans gear, boys with Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett paraphernalia.” (Bradly) Women had needed to take on more independence through the war but now were struggling to find there place between work and home.
The film portrays men as being the leaders in the home and in town, working at their own trades and women to be keeping house, caring for children, gossiping, and making their husbands happy. Showing images of the woman sewing, cleaning, shopping, caring for children; while picturing men driving, working their trade sets the tone of acceptability to the sexes.
In 1904 a Catholic Italian professor, Minoretti wrote an article that states the roles of men and women. He discusses that “…although man and woman were equal, the two sexes had different missions and, consequently, there were certain tasks in public life for which men were better suited, just as women were solely equipped for motherhood.” (Dawes 484-526) This issue of women’s role in the Sicilian culture is presented when the woman of the town are attempting to decide what to do about the midwife.
While amid a discussion about actions of Greek women, a statement is made that voices the general view of the culture, “Deny their husbands? That would never happen here in Sicily.” (Jessica) Yet the women choose to do so because they do not want the midwife, who is stealing their husbands, in their homes or at their births. Admonished by their local Catholic Father and are continually reminded it is their duty to please their husbands.
The midwife was viewed as a necessity to the town and was expected to do all the things the mother would do; cook, clean, look after children, as well as care for the mother and deliver the baby. She was also a local healer who cared for the people of the village. Women of the town made themselves available to the midwife to observe and help if there was any trouble.
Men are not to be part of the birthing process. Jessica, the midwife, states to an unwelcome father, “Now is not time for a man. Yes, after the baby comes but right now it is your wife’s time and mine.” (Jessica) Men saw midwifery as a task for older women. They see Jessica not as a midwife but merely an object of desire.
When women attempt to deny their husbands, the men retaliate in several ways; anger, frustration, self pity, increased lust for other women and even physical abuse. All these things are seen as acceptable and are continual. The film expresses a right of men to do as they see fit. The prayer of the Catholic father gives an air to this fact,
O Lord I must confess to it; I must have made a mess of it. It cannot be the fault of Thee, so it must be the fault of me. The ladies in the town are right. The gentleman are darn right, right; and Jessica is also right, yet everything is wrong. (Jessica)
By the end of the film the women of the town have all submitted to their husbands and gone back to their duties of housekeeping and raising a growing family, the midwife attaches herself to a rich member of the community, and the men have gone back to their work. The film portrays the idea that when each member of the community is accomplishing the tasks required of them, life will be full and joyous. Men go about their work, woman keep house and please husbands, midwifes deliver babies, and the community is healthy and happy. We know however that if there is no revolution, and if no one steps outside the bonds society has placed upon them improvement will never come.
Generally, midwives do not cause the type of trouble portrayed in the film, yet they can influence how women view their husbands. Different cultures have different views and these are generally promoted by a midwife. Whether a father can be present at birth, father’s role in the family, what decisions are made and by who, if women are treated well, these are all things midwives have the chance to influence before, during, and after childbirth.
In America, the views portrayed in this film are generally viewed as outdated. Although woman submitting to their husband’s authority is a good thing, women have the right to speak their opinion and be their own person. Men are required to treat their wives with respect, honor and basic human rights.
In the introduction to her book “From Eve to Dawn; A History of Women in the World” Volume IV Marilyn French writes,
Human rights are not radical claims, but merely basic rights-the right to walk around in the world at will, to breathe the air and drink water and eat food sufficient to maintain life, to speak at will and control one’s own body and its movements, including its sexuality (3).
These human rights now given to women are a great improvement over the time where abuse was permitted and women could not speak up about being treated with disrespect.
All over the world and throughout history the issue of how men and women should act in society has been highly debated. There is always a radical party who prevents things from running as they should. In American culture a midwife could be such a person. Though midwifery dates back to the beginning of recorded history, promoting natural childbirth, home healthcare and self reliance breaks the current mold of allowing physicians to dominate a person’s health and money. Each individual can choose to keep to the traditions and expectations that our society has placed upon us, or to change their life and thought process to embrace different ideas and improve the world for everyone.
Works Cited
Bradley, Becky . "1950-1959." American Cultural History. Lone Star College- Kingwood Library, 1998. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.
Dawes, Helena. “The Catholic Church and the Woman Question: Catholic Feminism in Italy in the Early 1900s.” Catholic Historical Review 97.3 (July 2011): 484-526. EBSCO Host. Web. 19. October. 2011.
French, Marilyn. From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World. Vol. 4. New York: The Feminist Press, 2008. Print. 4 vols.
Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. 1999. Web. 13 October 2011.
Jessica. Dir. Jean Negulesco, Oreste Palella. Perf. Maurice Chevalier, Angie Dickinson, Noel-Noel. Dear Film Produzione, 1962. Film
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