Comparing Feminist Themes Across Time Anonymous College

The goals and struggles associated with the feminist movement have undoubtedly changed over time, transforming as increasing freedom and equality shed light on the more complex issues which surround integrating women wholly into society. Machinal, by Sophie Treadwell, Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill, and the film The Headless Woman, written and directed by Lucrecia Martel, take place at different points during the evolution of feminism, and are excellent sources to chart the way feminism has changed and become more involved since the early 1900s, and also the ways in which some aspects of the feminist struggle have persisted.

Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal, published in 1928, explores the detrimental effects of societal expectations placed on women in this time period, placing women at odds with a patriarchal and predominantly masculine society. Inspired by the sensationalized case of Ruth Snyder, Machinal captures the tragic experiences of women trying to live and work in a system which is not built to house them. The characterization of Helen’s interactions with her own reality is rife with mechanistic imagery: From her coworkers to her husband to the men present during her trial, the majority of people in Helen’s life are stuck...