Representation of 1950’s gender roles in The Dick Van Dyke Show
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” represents one of the American movies of all time that controlled the airwaves in the 1960s. The show focuses on four individuals in the development of its plot: Dick Van Dyke (Rob Petrie), Mary Tyler Moore (Laura Petrie), Morey Amsterdam (Buddy Sorrell), and Rose Marie (Sally Rogers) as the main characters. The film focuses on the illustration of work and home settings of Rob Petrie and his wife Laura in the essence of demonstrating the gender roles following the end of the Second World War. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” illustrates the essence of masculinity within the society. This relates to the different roles played by the characters in relation to their gender. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” is a breakthrough in relation to the study and understanding of the gender roles in the 1950s. This is through critical evaluation of the roles played by women and men in the film. In the development of the plot and creation of gender or feminist themes, the film adopts and implements unique gender roles in relation to activities by Laura and Rob Petrie.
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” is a representation on the gender roles in that it outlines the roles of the male individuals within the society in relation to the theory of masculinity. In 1950s, men enjoyed considerable authority with reference to making vital decisions under limited influence by their wives or relevant women in the context of interaction. In this context, women were not allowed to play any critical role in the decision-making. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” illustrates this effectively in the first season of the film. This relates to the valuable decision Rob has to make between going for a business trip and staying at home in order to watch Richie be a bunny in his school. The critical decision in this scenario does not relate to the fact of being a good father or worker as it might sound. It comes out as evaluation of the options of giving in to the opinion of Laura, his wife, in staying home rather than attend to the needs of the business trip.
Since women had little role in making such decisions, giving in to his wife’s opinion would make Rob a lesser man. This perspective is vital towards understanding on the gender roles and discrimination that characterized the society in the 1950s. In order to elaborate on the essence of roles and expectations with reference to gender, the film adopts and implements effectively the aspect of dream sequence to might prevail in case Rob gives in to the demands or opinion of staying at home and abandoning the business trip. Rob pictures himself as ridicule in the society for giving up his masculine independence to the demands of his wife by choosing to stay at home and watch the play as a good father would do in the modern situation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, presenting a man who gave up a trip to Washington, simple because…I ordered him to!”
In the end, Rob decides to attend the business trip with the aim of avoiding the worst dream or nightmare ever in relation to giving up his masculine dominance. The feature of the business trip turns out to be non-productive thus illustrating on the ignorance in not heeding to the opinion by Laura. To enhance further the development of the plot and illustration of the perspectives within the film, Rob decides to conclude a rant to his seatmate on the trip back home with the aim of elaborating on the masculine independence.
“A man is a man, even if he is a husband and that at no time as a man or as a husband should he ever be his wife’s puppet. I am going to tell her that I had to do what I think is right. A man should not sacrifice his self-respect just to keep peace in the home. All right, a woman’s opinion should be weighed and considered, but in the final analysis, a man has to do what he thinks is right or he is no man!”
From this speech, it is ideal to note that being a man in the 1950s was defined by critical decisions on how to act within the society thus meeting the expectations. A man had the rights to be at the head of the family thus the essence of moderating the roles of women within the society. Despite this rant on the way back from the trip, Rob’s attempts to lay down the policy to his wife come to total laughs. This masculinity independence in the society as reflected by Rob is injured in Season 4 episode 1 entitled, “my mother can beat up my father”. This is a reflection of how women can be competitive in order to avoid restrictions of their gender roles.
In the same aspect of the film, Laura plays the role of a wife effectively and efficiently in relation to the expectations within the society. Traditional society required women and wives particularly, to remain obedient, supportive, and loyal to their husbands in all circumstances. On arriving from the trip, Laura adopts a supportive approach to the disappointment of her husband in relation to the business trip. In a normal scenario, it is right to feel angry for the waste of quality and resources because of the need to protect masculine independence. Being a woman demands supportive approach to the husband. This comes out clearly thus illustrating the gender roles in the 1950s from the women perspective and societal expectations. Laura seems to understand her roles through understanding Rob’s duty with reference to the career thus decide to blame herself for the occurrence. In the context of this interaction, Laura and Rob communicate as equals thus illustrating the development of the realization of roles and obligation in accordance with the societal expectations. Laura adopts some rights to display her opinion in the context of supporting her husband despite the failure of the business trip concerning productivity approaches.
Another illustration of the gender roles in the “The Dick Van Dyke Show” relates to the activities and events surrounding the life of Laura as a woman and a wife. Laura decides to live a well-paying professional with the aim of fulfilling her roles in relation to the societal expectations. Laura decides to stay at home and execute her gender roles such as taking care of the family, looking after children, performing household chores, and remaining supportive to the husband. In the traditional society, with reference to 1950s, women had the obligation of fulfilling their home duties in accordance with the expectations of the society. The first role reflected on the “The Dick Van Dyke Show” by women was executing the roles of beings mothers. As in the case of Laura, women in the traditional society had to be perfect mothers in that they had to display quality child-rearing abilities. This indicates that women had a greater role in the socialization of their children to ensure that they had greater view of the culture and other relevant values of the society. Laura fulfills this as she abandons her occupation to focus on the well-being of the society. The second traditional role of women was to remain obedient in relation to the needs and demands of their husbands. This role was not applicable only at the personal level but constituted societal standards. In addition, women had to support their husbands in attempts to provide for the family. This is through the provision of quality opinion, which the husband was under no obligation to adhere to in the process of interaction.
As a woman in the traditional society, one had to be a perfect or witty house-maker. This indicates that women had the opportunity to ensure that their families remained intact through high level of obedience and support top their husbands. Women did not participate in conversation but remained beside their men for the quality and effective support in relation to the issue under critical decision. The essence of abandoning of the occupation by Laura is a reflection of societal expectations of lack of women to participate in the economic growth and provision of needs to the family. According to “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, it is ideal to note the gender roles and obligations in the 1950s were repressive and constrictive to women in some ways. Society had high expectations in relation to the importance of women’s behavior in the context of their homes and public domain. The perfect mother had the role to stay at home and address the needs and demands of the family in order to be accepted by the society. Another reflection of a perfect wife or woman in the traditional society was the ability to execute the duties or orders of the man or husband and stand by him in the context of everything within the society.
In the traditional society, men had to provide for their families in that they had to work or perform physical jobs with the aim of addressing the needs of their dependence. As in the case of Rob, men had to fulfill this societal expectation of ensuring that their families satisfied the basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. Men had to attend to their occupation while women stayed and cared for children and other family needs. Masculine independence in the society enabled men to work and provide for their families while limiting the essence of women in gaining employment. This is through the value of education-aided efforts by men to work in the economic positions such as businesspersons, lawyers, teachers, and employees in valuable organizations. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” represents the role of men in providing for their families like in the case of Rob and the business opportunity or responsibility. This indicates that traditional society with reference to the 1950s focused or placed much importance on the gender roles to ensure that men and women executed their expectations towards the achievement of social order and harmonious existence.
Another aspect of gender roles in the 19502 is reflected on the relationship between Rob and Laura as they aim to make perfect family scenario. It is the duty of the husband to ensure that he respects her wife in response to supportive and obedience roles by the woman in the society. This aims at promoting quality living within the society. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” also acts towards demonstration of the feminism extent in the traditional society. Despite the essence of societal expectations and definition of the gender roles, Rob tries to incorporate Laura in the process of decision making thus developing of equal rights. This represents respect between Rob and Laura as they go about execution of roles and obligations in accordance with the demands of the society.
From the illustration of the “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, it is ideal to note the gender roles under the influence of societal expectations. Men and women played unique roles in relation to their gender and the influence of the society settings thus the concept of masculinity in the 1950s. Men had the opportunity to make vital decisions under minimal influence of their wives because of the prestige and status accorded to them by the society. Men had the opportunity and obligation to provide for their families as a show of dominance and prestige within the society. Men who could not provide for their families were insignificant in the context of the public. This indicates that the individuals were considered lesser men in the frame of the society. Men also enjoyed the privilege to serve in valuable employment opportunities because of their level of education.
Women performed less physical duties as their main role included being perfect mothers and wives, caring for the family and the husband, being obedient to the husband, and performing of the household chores. The gender roles in the traditional society with reference to the 1950s are reflections of the societal dominance in the determination of behavior. Season 4 episode 1 entitled, “my mother can beat up my father” is a reflection of the break way from the social dominance by men in the traditional society to accommodation of the aspects of women. This is because as evident in the judo technique by Laura, women have the ability to compete with men in many aspects of the society.
