Jaws

The movie Jaws was released in 1975 and instantly became a blockbuster hit.  This horror movie has many scenes that suggest the political tone of the seventies represented a time where great advances were being made in women’s rights due to the feminist movement.   Although the popularity of this movement came about due to the sexual revolution of the late sixties, this subject was considered distasteful because many people in America still believed in the traditional roles of males and females. The long-established roles women conformed to was under attack, and women’s rights were a controversial topic. Civil rights and social equality challenged the mindset of people in the seventies and many people remained uncomfortable with the changes that were taking place.  The director, Peter Benchley, brilliantly uses symbolism to express the issues confronting people of this decade.

From: Me and You and a Blog named Boo

In the beginning of the movie, there is a group of young adults partying on the beach and having a great time.  The next scene shows a girl suggestively inviting a guy to go into the water with her for a late night tryst.  When she enters the water, she is attacked and killed by the shark.  This scene suggests this woman is being punished for her promiscuous behavior.  She did not conform to the socially accepted behavior and had to suffer the consequences.  Sexual promiscuity in women was still frowned upon by mainstream America and there were consequences to these actions. The shark is symbolic of the power society has to make people conform to tradition.

The movie also depicts the local town sheriff, Martin Brody, as the hero. We see this character as a family man and protector of the community.  He closes down the beaches to protect the people, which illustrates the traditional male role of leader and guardian.  Men were responsible for the safety and care of women and their families.  Women were considered fragile and unable to defend themselves. The movie challenged the social norms for women in the seventies and dared to express these ideas.

When I was three years old, we went to Universal Studios in Florida and saw the replica of the “Jaws” mouth. I wanted to take a picture laying in the mouth, but was too scared so my older sister laid next to me with her hand on me. Although I did not know what the shark’s mouth represented at the time, I did experience the strong bond of sisterhood.