Division of Sexes and Society, Essay Example

Baran

The division of sexes, and their role in the society is clearly represented in the movie: Baran. The personal experiences of Lateef are impacted by the restrictions of the society. The roles of men and boys are clearly defined, and they are supposed to be the breadwinner, the strong one, and the reliable person in the family. When Lateef discovers that Rahmat is a girl, he faces a dilemma: why does it feel wrong for a girl to work, and why would anyone have to dress like a man to get a job? His hostile attitude towards Rahmat turns into respect, and he starts thinking about the girl a different way. Further, there is a division of the society between the Iranian population and illegal Afghan workers. When Najaf gets injured at the construction site, there are only men  around. The opening scene shows the toughness of men’s world, something that all people (immigrants and local workers) would like to escape from. The cruelty of the masculine society is represented in many places within the movie. As soon as the men put Najaf on the truck, they are ordered to get back to work. There is no time for emotions. At the same time, there is fear in the air:  people  say: “I don’t want problems with the inspectors”. The men’s world is cruel and aggressive, and Lateef realizes it.

Assuming that Rahmat is a boy, he wants to stay on the easy job, and does not think about the other person. However, as soon as he finds out the truth about Rahmat, whose real name is Baran, his attitude changes. This shows that individuals’  perception of the other person can be determined based on their assumption of sexual roles. In the Iranian society, women need to be protected, sheltered, and looked after, however, this is not the case with Baran. She needs to take on the breadwinner role, as her father is injured, and the roles of the sexes is changed.  Lateef realizes this, and would like to recreate the order, but helping Baran and her family  as much as he can.  Still, he cannot change the way the society works, and how the Afghans are treated in the country.  Politics, social norms, and rules do not allow him to make a difference in the life of the girl, and he has to let her go. While the roles are swapped,  and Baran gets to do the more “feminine” work of shopping and serving tea,  she is still treated like a man. The only person who shows empathy and compassion for her is Lateef.

The Way Way Back

In the movie “The Way Way Back”, another masculine society is represented, however, the norms are not related to the society, but the stepfather of Duncan. He treats the mother as a property, and an inferior, just like the kids. The overconfident Duncan has expectations for everyone’s behavior, and wants Duncan to become a “man”, while he is not the typical teenager. This creates a conflict and an identity crisis for Duncan. Pam is referred to as Trent’s new girlfriend. All the men and teenage boys are treating their girlfriends as accessories, and this does not appeal to Duncan. He does not relate to the life of his stepsister, and the one of the grown-ups. Duncan feels out of place. When he meets the girl next door he figures that he is not the only person who is facing the difficulties of growing up and becoming a grown-up. By finding a job, Duncan realizes that he can choose his own path, and make a difference. He finally breaks free from the norms set by the grown-ups surrounding him.

Duncan turns from being someone who has no self-esteem into someone who is confident in their abilities, and is brave enough to disagree with others. He starts standing up for his newly found values. There is a great contrast between the beginning of the film, when Trent talks to Duncan and he simply listens, despite clearly despising him and the end when he becomes the “employee of the month” and makes his mother realize he is more grown up than she would think. His mother, Pam is protective, and treats him as  a child, not realizing that Duncan is going through a major transformation. He earns his mother’s respect, something he has been desiring for a long time. He takes on a challenge on the water slide, and wins it. Moreover, he makes people around him realize that it is possible to become cool, instead of simply acting cool to pretend everything is OK, just like the people smoking marijuana and drinking all night. He finds a meaning for his life in the challenge, and through that he can better himself. This gives him confidence, self-esteem, and personal power. He is no longer afraid of his stepfather, and can look adults in the eye. He earns his own self-respect by pushing himself further.

Works Cited

Faxon, N. and Rash, J. “The Way  Way Back” Movie. 2013.

Majidi, M, “Baran” Movie. 2001.