“10 Things I Hate About You,” a popular film set in a high school context, offers a rich canvas for examining various gender theories. The narrative, centered around the dating experiences of teenagers, subtly brings to light issues of gender roles, expectations, and dynamics central to gender studies. Based on the film’s plot and character development, it becomes a fitting exemplar to explore diverse theoretical perspectives ranging from physiological and evolutionary psychology to more contemporary views like liberal and radical feminism. In this analysis, the focus will be on how the film reflects these varied theories. The application of liberal feminist theory will help unpack the film’s portrayal of gender discrimination and status. Radical feminism and cultural feminism will aid in exploring power dynamics and societal impacts on gender roles. Additionally, the Marxist feminist perspective will offer insights into class and gender interplay. By integrating these theories with relevant concepts like the stopping rule and role distance, this essay aims to comprehensively analyze gender representations in “10 Things I Hate About You.”
Film Analysis through Gender Theories
Structural Functionalist Perspective
The portrayal of family dynamics and gender roles aligns with the structural-functionalist perspective, focusing on how societal and familial structures uphold gender norms. The Stratford family is a prime example, with the father shaping the daughters’ attitudes towards dating and relationships. His strict rules, particularly when younger daughter Bianca can only date if her older sister Kat does, reflect the traditional patriarchal control within families (FLIXhub, 2022). This rule can be seen as a way to maintain social order and protect the family’s reputation, typical of a structural functionalist viewpoint (Messner). Moreover, the contrasting personalities of Kat and Bianca highlight the expressive and instrumental roles typically ascribed to women in society. Kat’s outspoken, independent nature challenges these traditional roles, while Bianca initially seems to conform to them, being more concerned with social status and appearances.
Liberal Feminist Theory
The film also offers insights when analyzed through the lens of liberal feminist theory, especially in its depiction of gender discrimination and the struggle between ascribed and achieved status in the high school setting. The character of Kat in Martin’s film exemplifies the values of liberal feminism, where the emphasis is placed on equality, and a critique brought against the traditional gender role. She actively defies all of the usual stereotypical expectations of female behaviour in high school, namely that she would be intellectually driven, forthright, or anything short of dismissive of the typical popularity games that one must play within the high school. Her character speaks against the ascribed gender roles and demands rather than a status demanded through the toil and virtues of a person. However, the high school set in the film is just like a little microcosm environment of gender discrimination and stereotyping, whereby a character like Joey represents the spirit of male chauvinism. It subtly criticizes this normalcy through the experiences of its characters and thus points out keenly how “societies do mostly tend to compartmentalize people into gendered roles. Bianca’s journey is one where she grows from what seemed to be a very shallow teenager to someone who knows the value of genuinely connecting with people and challenging norms of conventionality vs. authenticity. She further demonstrates the power of further liberal feminist criticism of structures enforcing gender roles.
Cultural Feminism
The movie slowly gets into play with cultural feminism, more so through the film’s representation of socio-political challenges and how they intertwine with gender dynamics. Messner states that cultural feminism attributes the cause of any problem within society—be it conflict, disease, or an environmental problem—back to the world order of patriarchal values and dominance by men. The social scope at the high school in the film expresses this perspective, with many conflicts traditionally seeming to emanate from male behaviors of competition and dominance. Only to add to the many conflicts and tensions within the school’s social realm are such characters as Joey, who emanate the image of the aggressive, dominant male prototype. Meanwhile, the film’s portrayal of female characters, especially Kat, hints at the cultural feminist view that women’s natural qualities, like empathy and cooperation, could lead to a more harmonious society. Kat’s outspokenness against traditional norms and her care for others’ well-being as a counterforce to the prevailing male-driven conflicts.
Separatist Feminist Perspective
The separatist feminist perspective, advocating for female independence and separation from male-dominated spheres, echoes the film through characters like Kat. Her early withdrawal from the school’s social scene and refusal to participate in standard courting rituals might be interpreted as a type of feminine separatist. She signifies a rejection of patriarchal conventions and a reluctance to comply with cultural expectations of femininity (Segrave). Kat’s quest throughout the film represents the desire for autonomy and self-definition outside of male-dominated social systems. In this regard, the film highlights the significance of female independence and challenges the necessity of male approval in defining one’s identity and choices.
Marxist Feminist Theory
Further, the screenwriter subtly incorporates Marxist feminist theory, explaining that class and capitalism are vital to understanding gender inequality in the film through the narrative. High school is a microcosm of this broader societal structure. Characters from different economic backgrounds display varying degrees of social power and privilege. The film hints at how economic status can reinforce traditional gender roles, with wealthier male characters like Joey assuming positions of power and using their economic status to exert control (Alexander). This dynamic is challenged by characters who do not fit neatly into the high school’s social hierarchy, suggesting that class and gender roles are intertwined in complex ways.
Evolutionary Psychological Perspective
`”10 Things I Hate About You” also lends itself to analysis through the lens of evolutionary psychology. The film portrays different mating strategies between male and female characters, aligning with the theory’s assertions about reproductive behavior. Men in the film, like Joey, often appear to follow a strategy that prioritizes the quantity of romantic partners. Their actions suggest a biological drive to spread their genes widely. In contrast, female characters, particularly Kat, seem more inclined towards quality in relationships, showing a preference for deeper emotional connections, which aligns with the evolutionary need to ensure offspring’s survival and well-being. This dichotomy is most apparent in the differing attitudes of the characters towards romance and relationships, reflecting the theory’s interpretation of gendered mating strategies based on reproductive capacities and constraints.
Application of Concepts
In “10 Things I Hate About You,” the concept of the ‘stopping rule’ can be observed in the dating strategies of the characters. For instance, Bianca’s father implements a rule that she can only date once her older sister does, effectively stopping her from entering the dating scene until a specific condition is met (FLIXhub, 2022). Additionally, the concept of ‘role distance’ is evident in how Kat presents herself. Despite the expectations of her high school environment, Kat maintains a certain detachment from the typical feminine roles and behaviors expected of her, showcasing her reluctance to engage with and commit to these societal norms fully. The film’s portrayal of a father’s stringent dating rule for his daughters ostensibly aims to protect them, representing its manifest function. However, its latent function emerges as it inadvertently fosters independence and self-awareness, particularly in Kat. This rule subtly touches on fertility preferences, reflecting parental concerns over offspring’s future choices. The high school setting is a microcosm of class consciousness, with students naturally aligning with peers of similar social standings, illustrating societal divisions.
In addition, the film reflects the culture because the language, style, and behavior of the characters intrude on the youth culture of the 1990s, accentuating how social attitudes and norms reflect and are handed down through the medium of language. The film gets into women objectification in the way the character Joey views Bianca. On the other hand, there is no way the character of Kat allows herself to be objectified since, by all means, she does not want to have a fate of being made an object of decorative nature for the faces of pretty-looking ladies for the guys. She is challenging and resisting even deeper social norms. The movie also brings out hegemonic masculinity through the character of Joey and his concern for appearing and being popular, seeking to underscore the traits of hegemonic masculinity. This again reinforces the idea that masculinity is a representation of the dominant social positions of men against the subordinate social positions of women.
Integration of Theories and Readings
The intricate weaving of gender theories into its narrative fabric is evident throughout the film. The Physiological Theory, which posits inherent biological differences between genders, is portrayed through characters like Joey. He exemplifies typical male assertiveness and physicality, whereas Kat’s intellectual and emotional depth challenges the conventional feminine archetype, suggesting a more complex understanding of gender roles. Evolutionary Psychological and Sociological Perspectives are also prominent in the film. The characters are different, and the mating strategies are divergent from the theories’ perspectives on reproduction strategies. From a biological perspective, Joey’s many lovers portray the male reproductive strategy. In contrast, Kat and Bianca, who want to emphasize emotional bonding and relationship stability, portray a feminine mating strategy perspective.
The family dynamics in the movie articulate the Structural Functionalist Perspective beautifully. The father, on the other hand, who is known for being a model in enforcing traditional patriarchal structures in families, sets stringent dating rules. Their reaction of Kat to the rules, in that she has to rebel, while Bianca is fully in compliance at first, really does bring out the possibility of enacting both active and passive roles within these structures. The movie is quite close to the liberal feminist theory in the high school setup, with bias in gender and relative deprivation of ascribed and achieved status. In particular, Kat identifies herself with liberal feminist ideology—the belief in and commitment to realizing gender equality and freedom for women. Cultural feminism represents itself by the character of Kat. Her protective attitude towards her sister and empathy towards Patrick resonate with cultural feminism, valorizing those qualities that women are associated with, like empathy and nurturing. The Separatist Feminist Perspective is exemplified in Kat’s character. Her initial reluctance to participate in the dating scene and her staunch independence resonate with the separatist feminist emphasis on female autonomy and independence from male-dominated societal structures.
Throughout the film, key scenes and dialogues bring these theories to life. For instance, the party scene highlights the differing approaches to character relationships. As articulated in her dialogues, Kat’s disdain for traditional expectations showcases a non-conformity to societal gender expectations, effectively integrating concepts like the ‘stopping rule’ and ‘role distance’ into the narrative. This film becomes a rich text for analyzing and understanding the complexities of gender theories and concepts through its character-driven narrative.
Conclusion
“10 Things I Hate About You” is a charming canvas work that reflects different gender theories, from the Physiological Theory supported by the many different obvious behaviors in the characters to the point of mating strategies seen in Evolutionary Psychology. The film incorporates serious approaches to the complex dynamics of gender in a lighthearted manner. Further, it explores Structural Functionalism through family roles, repeating parts of Liberal Feminism in that it questions the traditional norms. On the other hand, Kat’s character represents independence and standing for oneself against patriarchal views in the Cultural and Separatist Feminist schools of thought. It reflects on various gender theories and gives commentaries on changes affecting the nature of gender roles and relations in modern-day society. The characters and story of the play equally instigate critical insight into social norms and the endless turn towards fairness and enlightenment in the sphere of gender.
References
Alexander, “Stylish Hard Bodies”
FLIXhub. (2022a). 10 things I hate about You(1999). BiliBili. https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2003634463
Gerson, “Falling Back on Plan B”
Martin, “Becoming a Gendered Body”
Messner, “Masculinities and Athletic Careers”
Segrave, “The Perfect 10”
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