Feminism is an evolving movement, it seeks to challenge and dismantle societal norms that perpetuate gender inequality. In 2024, Feminism emphasizes the liberation of all people, particularly women, from oppressive systems. However it might not have always been that way. Stories like “The Dew Breaker” by Edwidge Danticat and the film “Barbie” both engage with feminist ideas, though they approach the subject from very different cultural, historical, and narrative perspectives.
Now to start off its important to first define feminism. What is feminism? Even in 2024 its most commonly thought off to be the movement for women rights. However I think that definition is not exactly complete. According to IWDA feminism is described as “Simply means believing in equal rights for all genders. It’s not about hating men. It’s not about women being better than men. It’s not about eschewing femininity”.(IDWA, 1) I believe this quote is vital for defining feminism. It highlights the bigotry that most people surround feminism with. In today’s world feminism has been demonized to belive that it stands for women controlling our world. When in fact it’s not that, it’s pushing for the ideal that all are equal no matter race or religion.
Now “The Dew Breaker” is a novel composed of interrelated stories that explore the lives of Haitian immigrants living in the United States. One of the novel’s main protagonists is a man who, in his past life in Haiti, was a torturer. His violent past haunts the lives of those around him, particularly his daughter, Ka, who tries to understand the knowledge of her father’s history. However, whats most important is how Ka’s father attempts to not tell her about his past, thinking that he is “protecting her” even when he ends up hurting her. An example of this from the text would be when Ka’s father intentionally leaves and takes Kas’s sculpture leaving her stranded in a hotel room by herself with no explanation.
We can see similar things in the film “Barbie”. Where we follow the main protagonist Barbie and how she leaves “Barbie-land” which is shown to be this perfect world where everyone has a part and nobody can be sad. She moves into the real world of modern-day America. The film itself is a modern-day exploration of gender roles and self-empowerment. The themes of the movie try to subvert traditional ideas of femininity by presenting both Barbie and Ken as the typical male and female couple. When the man, Ken realizes he doesn’t need Barbie or a woman in his life to make him happy, and discovers how it’s ok for a dominant male figure like himself to show his emotions instead of hiding them. Then there’s Barbie, who goes against the sexist corporate culture and tries to show that she’s more than just a pretty face by pushing herself through modern-day America’s sexist work places.
One thing that sicks out in the film “Barbie” is in the beginning of the movie where it tries to separate the Barbie world from the real world. It uses a famous quote at the beginning of the move that states “Girls can grow into women, who can achieve anything and everything they set their mind to. Thanks to barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved.” (Barbie). This quote although highly sarcastically carries a weight to it. It highlights the common though amongst the american people about how just because girls have their own toys and own movies and own shows that means that feminism is in a strong suit in our current world. The movie itself goes against that idea by showing Barbie going through real-world problems a women has to endure.
Going back through history we can see how the term “feminism” has evolved throughout history. One example of this would be going back throughout American history. It’s seen that throughout history we have known that feminism was pushed against but a culture of white, cis, Christian men. However, one quote by Abigail Adamas, first lady to President John Adams quotes “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies we are determined to foment a rebellion.” (History, Early Feminists) We can see throughout this quote that although the period was heavily against the idea of feminism there were women in power using their abilities to try and gain women the the rights for equality.
Although “The Dew Breaker” and “Barbie” have their differences in setting and genre, both stories address feminist themes of power and identity. They portray the idea that our culture has relied on the idea that women are “weak” and need protection from a man to keep them safe. However, both of these stories go directly against that sexist ideal. An example of this would be how Ka, inherits the trauma of her father’s past, even though she did not experience it directly. Her father’s actions, and the silence surrounding them, create this kind of generational trauma that limits Ka’s ability to fully understand her father and her own identity. Anne, who is Ka’s mother, also faces the emotional burden of living with a man who is both loved and feared. It’s highlighted in the story that the women are forced to bear a man’s burden/trauma as if it is their duty as a wife or daughter.
In “Barbie”, power is initially depicted more playfully and uniquely. Barbieland is a utopia where women hold all the power, and men are secondary. However, when Barbie enters the real world with Ken, she quickly discovers that this balance of power is far from the norm. The film uses sexist ideologies to highlight how men still dominate the real world. From corporate boardrooms to street harassment. Barbie’s realization that her world is a fantasy is a strong theme that carries to the audience the struggles most women go through just day to day. The film’s exploration of power also extends to Ken, who attempts to introduce patriarchy into Barbie Land after experiencing it in the real world. His attempt at this portrays playfully how a weak patriarchal culture works without a dominance of it. The film shows how both genders switched roles for society and how that affects both Barbie and Ken mentally.
Another key theme in both stories is the exploration of identity. In “The Dew Breaker”, the question of identity is complicated by the characters’ histories of migration, trauma, and secrecy. Ka, for instance, is forced to reconcile her image of her father with the truth of his past. This process of discovery is painful but necessary, as it allows her to move beyond the idealized version of her father and towards a more complex understanding of both him and herself. One quote that sticks out in particular “I was born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, and have never even been to my parent’s birthplace. Still, I answer “Haiti” because it is one more thing I’ve always longed to have in common with my parents.”(Danticat 3) I believe this quote is vital because it carries importance to Ka as a person. Shes been lied to and doesn’t understand who she is as a person and doesn’t understand her identity due to her father’s issues and the trauma that trauma carries onto her.
Now looking at the world in 2024 it’s hard to say if we have made so much of a difference in the push for feminism. We have of course given women the rights they deserve. However, even in today’s world women are constantly being looked down upon. In workspaces, schools, and political careers. We have started to go against the common feminism movement, as Cynthia de las Fuentas describes “Task force members point to data they say shows feminism ongoing relevance: In psychology, women’s median salaries are lower than men’s.”(Fuentas 1). This quote perfectly describes how even in today’s world we still can’t realize the difference in something so obvious like a difference in pay gay between women and men.
“The Dew Breaker” and “Barbie” may seem like vastly different texts, but both have strong themes of feminism. They both dig deeper into the roots of feminism. They try to identify feminism at its early stages and move forward in time to identify with feminism through the modern age in 2024. These texts highlight the idea of not only just women’s empowerment but the empowerment of other cultures and races being oppressed in the modern age. Through their exploration of power and identity, these works challenge traditional narratives of gender and highlight how women can resist and reshape the systems that oppress them.
Works Cited
Feminism, IWDA. “What Is Feminism?” IWDA, 2024, iwda.org.au/learn/what-is-feminism/.
Fuentes, Cynthia de las. “What Feminism Means Today.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2005, http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2006/09/feminism.
Sprockets and Springes 