Volume 101

This paper discusses the impact of World War II on the depiction of female figure in film industry, particularly how women’s social expectancy is reflected in turns of movie. During World War II, women were encouraged to enter the workforce, leading to portrayals of independent female figures, but post-war movies reverted to traditional domestic ideals. By analyzing both pre-war and post-war films, this study examines the depicted women figure showed in film industry before World War II and after. The films Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and It’s a Wonderful Life were chosen to be examine since they do not embody any sexism ideologies. The analysis reveals that the female expectancy and social roles surprisingly retrograded back to traditional domestic character. While in pre-war movie Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, there is independent business woman like Babe Bennett, all the female characters in It’s a Wonderful Life remain traditionally portrayed as housewives. These findings suggest that independent powerful women figure was not a enduring image and underscore that the influence of World War II on women’s figure in films is over evaluated.

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