For your blog response this week, write a working thesis paragraph about Winter’s Bone and The Southern Gothic. Remember, that an effective thesis has to develop analysis, not observation. What’s the “so what” of your thesis? How does thinking about The Southern Gothic help you develop an understanding of the film’s representation of gender and class power dynamics?
DUE: By 11:59PM Wednesday, November 6.
Thesis revision must be posted before class on Tuesday November 12.
The film Winter’s Bone explores the dynamics and struggles of rural southern life, in which power within family blood and the crossing of gender boundaries is demonstrated through the character Ree. Characterized as a southern gothic, the film highlights the dark and looming lifestyle in the deep south as the shots portray enclosing trees, run-down mountain houses, and burnt down meth labs. Such images highlight the impoverished lifestyle that the characters of the film partake in and thus serve as representations of their struggles. The extremely complicated family dynamic is revealed, in which almost every character shares blood with Ree, but physically abuses her in equal manners. Power is therefore represented as extremely hierarchical and dismissive of family relations. Gender roles are inversely represented, in which women, especially Ree, firmly hold authoritative positions. The film consequently challenges the usual configurations of gender and power and presents such ideas in a southern gothic light.
The film Winter’s Bone explores the dynamics and struggles of rural southern life, in which power within family blood and the crossing of gender boundaries is demonstrated through the character Ree. Characterized as a southern gothic, the film highlights the dark and looming lifestyle in the deep south as the shots portray enclosing trees, run-down mountain houses, and burnt down meth labs. Such images highlight the impoverished lifestyle that the characters of the film partake in and thus serve as representations of their struggles. The extremely complicated family dynamic is revealed, in which almost every character shares blood with Ree, but physically abuses her in equal manners. Power is therefore represented as extremely hierarchical and dismissive of family relations. Gender roles are inversely represented, in which women, especially Ree, firmly hold authoritative positions. The film consequently challenges the usual stereotypes of male hierarchies and female subordination, in which such ideas are presented in a forlorn southern gothic light.
After watching the Winter’s Bone, my eyes were opened to the harsh realities of gender relations in the south. First off the Winter’s Bone is a new generation southern gothic, in my opinion, because while it follows the setting and gloominess of a southern gothic it does not display slavery in any way. This film uses the protagonist Ree to develop the idea that while women are required to do as much or more work as men in the south, they receive none of the hierarchy benefits that their male counterparts do. Furthermore the role of the woman is portrayed as grueling and unflattering as shown in Ree when she takes on the burden of her two siblings and sick mother. On the other hand, the men of the movie seem quite content in leaving a teenage girl with a workload intended two parents. Winter’s Bone seems to be a different genre inside of the southern gothic where instead of the racially unaccepted person being tormented by a mystery, it is actually the damsel in distress that is the protagonist and is fighting for herself and her family. I find this film as somewhat of coming of age because it projects an independent, resilient woman in the south, when the stereotype is that only men take on responsibilities outside of the home in the south. The gender reversed role in the film enrages some of the other close-minded characters who see women as codependet to males. However, Ree’s bravery and determination proves that women can have extraordinarily important impacts in any situation that they are in.
This film uses the protagonist Ree to develop the idea that while women are required to do as much or more work as men in the south, they receive none of the hierarchy benefits that their male counterparts do. Furthermore the role of the woman is portrayed as grueling and unflattering, as shown in Ree when she takes on the burden of her two siblings and sick mother. On the other hand, the men of the movie seem quite content in leaving a teenage girl with a workload intended for two parents. Winter’s Bone seems to be a different genre inside of the southern gothic, where instead of the racially unaccepted person being tormented by a mystery, it is actually the damsel in distress that is the protagonist fighting for herself and her family. The continuous anxiety and darkness throughout the movie makes it gothic while the fact that we actually never encounter the father’s killer categorizes Winter’s Bone into the genre of a southern gothic. While an orthodox horror movie shows the antagonist which almost humanizes it and allows it to be defeated, the thrill of a southern gothic comes from the idea that we actually never get to see the enemy which makes Winter’s Bone a spine tingling film.
The movie, Winter’s Bone, is a film that portrays the social hierarchy, struggles, obstacles faced when living in poverty deep down in the south. Winter’s Bone is the story of Ree, the young female protagonist, trying to discover the whereabouts of her father. With no functioning mother, two younger siblings, and about to lose her house Ree’s only chance for living is to find her runaway dad. Winter’s Bone is categorized as a southern gothic film. This type of film often gets its tone from the scenery, cultural anxiety, and haunting portrayed throughout the movie. Specifically, in Winter’s Bone, the movie describes the harsh living Ree and her family endure through these elements in specific ways. The movie sets its own tone in the gloomy run-down farmlands and gray landscape, prominent powerful woman figures, and portrayal of the different antagonists throughout the film.
The movie, Winter’s Bone, is a film that portrays the social hierarchy, struggles, and obstacles faced when living in the poverty stricken areas of Missouri. The protagonist, Ree, a young girl who must act as a mom to her two younger siblings must overcome her constraints of her gender, wealth, and age. Categorized as a southern gothic film, Winter’s Bone, depicts Ree’s hardships through the gloomy rundown settings, depiction of blood related antagonists, and the fear of the unknown.
A daughter with no parental support is weighted down with the responsibility of raising her young siblings. Her mother is mentally ill and cannot support the family in any way. Her father has disappeared for some time, most likely because of his affiliation with the meth-labs in the area. Ree has a lot on her plate, even before the real problems begin. Her gender, age, and economic class put her in a position where no one listens to her. Ree’s portrayal of a hard-working young woman in a town full of poverty isn’t missing its stereotypical partner, the abusive, “lazy”, careless alpha male figures. There are many of them to go around in this story, which laces in themes of the unique genre of southern gothic stories to enhance the events that take place. Dreary sets, constant dim lighting (even in the sun), and many close-up views of the misery in the eyes of the characters make the film powerfully depressing in terms of the wrongs being done to Ree and her young family. Winter’s Bone effectively uses aspects of the Southern Gothic genre to portray the gender and class power stereotypes of a poor white community, ravaged by meth.
Ree has a lot on her plate, even before the real problems begin. Her gender, age, and economic class put her in a position where no one wants to help her, let alone listen to her. Ree’s portrayal of a hard-working young woman in a town full of poverty isn’t missing its stereotypical partner, the abusive, “lazy”, careless alpha male figures. There are many of them to go around in the film “Winter’s Bone”, which laces in themes of the unique genre of Southern Gothic stories to enhance the events that take place. Dreary scenes, dim lighting (even in the sun), and many close-up views of the misery in the eyes of the characters make this film powerfully depressing, regarding the wrongs being done to Ree and her young family. Ree’s relentless search for her missing father presents a haunting mystery that she must solve. Winter’s Bone uses aspects of the Southern Gothic genre to portray the gender and class power stereotypes of a poor white community, ravaged by methamphetamine.
The film Winter’s Bone gives us a glimpse of what life would be like living in the deep south of the Frozen Ozarks where gender and power cross paths through family hierarchies. This southern gothic film demonstrates the backwoods through the film’s dark color scheme, dark looming trees, and impoverished houses. Gender and power are demonstrated through females holding power while the males make the ultimate decision. Ree is the one character that challenges this status quo as head of her own household. She lets no one male or female get in her way and she makes decisions for herself. Winter’s Bone challenges the standard depictions of gender and power using Ree and the southern gothic style.
The film Winter’s Bone portrays a southern gothic style of storytelling that intertwines gender and power through family hierarchies. The film uses a dark color scheme with tall looming trees and dilapidated homes to enhance the southern gothic ambiance. Males make all the decisions in each household but one. Ree is the one character who challenges the status quo as head of her own household. She must take care of her mother while finding a way to discover where her father has disappeared to before her family loses their home. Ree makes decisions for her father regarding their household. She does not allow any of her male relatives or neighbors take control of her family’s situation. Winter’s Bone, in its Southern Gothic style, challenges the standard depictions of gender and power through Ree’s oppositional attitude.
The film Winter’s Bone portrays life in the rural south. Ree is the protagonist of the film and she is in charge of all the responsibilities of the house even though she is only 17 years old. Ree represents the “other” because she is a poor young girl in the middle of Missouri who has to deal with the harsh reality of her father’s past. In terms of the southern gothic, this film is full of scenery that portrays the dark, gloomy feeling of the southern gothic. For example, all of the houses seen are run down and beat up. The trees are bare and harsh looking and the yards in front of the houses are filled with trash and old broken down cars. The film really succeeds in using costuming to further the idea of the south being the “other”. The clothing is baggy and heavy, often dark in color. But perhaps the most striking is the often large printed picture of a wolf or American eagle with an American flag flying in the background on t-shirts. This screams “white trash” which we might stereotypically expect o see in the south. Also, the fact that Jesup was a cooker is very stereotypical of the southern “other”. Southern gothic style is very prevalent in this film, however, the style is altered in various ways to create a new and interesting depiction.
The film “Winter’s Bone” uses a new twist on the Southern Gothic genre in the overall portrayal of the community. This is accomplished by placing the women at the forefront of power. In the traditional southern gothic, the women are usually the victims and painted to be “damsels in distress”. In “Winter’s Bone” however, the women are the background of the community. For example, the protagonist Ree has to run the household and carries a powerful influence in the community. Elsewhere in the community, the women are also in power positions. For example, the women who take Ree to find her father’s dead body are extraordinarily influential for Ree and her family’s fate. The “other” that haunts the society is the rural south filled with corruption. Drugs are heavily prevalent and poverty is a reality for the region. The genre of southern gothic helps to understand the story because it explains why Ree behaves in a harsh and cold manner. She has to be tough if she wants her family to survive in this poverty-struck, drug-filled, dark and gloomy society.
Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone, deemed a Southern Gothic work, exhibits the struggles of a teenage girl who carries her whole family on her shoulders. Winter’s Bone focuses on the life Ree, the film’s protagonist, who is on a mission to find her fugitive father in order to keep her house. The dull and deserted scenery paired with run down houses, reveals the bone crushing poverty that is taking a toll on Ree and her family. During the course of the film, Ree not only takes complete care of her two younger siblings but also travels to many different homes in order to collect more information about her father. By using the convention of cultural anxieties in the Southern Gothic genre, Winter’s Bone suggests that women maintain more power and significance to a family than their male counterparts.
Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone, deemed a Southern Gothic work, exhibits the struggles of a teenage girl who carries her whole family on her shoulders. In typical Southern Gothic pieces, the white male holds the power over females and slaves. Being a Southern Gothic work, Winter’s Bone ironically deviates from the stereotypical gender roles. Ree, the film’s protagonist, is on a mission to find her fugitive father in order to keep her house for her impoverished family. Winter’s Bone effectively shows the reversal of gender roles through the responsibilities of Ree. During the course of the film, Ree not only takes complete care of her two younger siblings but also travels to many different homes in order to collect more information about her father. By using cultural anxieties expressed on the Southern Gothic genre, Winter’s Bone emphasizes the idea that women maintain more power and significance to a family than their male counterparts; thus, challenging heteronormativity in modern society .
The film Winter’s Bone depicts the harsh reality of rural southern life. While the movie embraces many key characteristics of the southern gothic genre, the protagonist is one example in stark contrast with the genre. Ree Dolly is the lead character who does not embody the typical “damsel in distress” role that southern gothic is known for. Instead, Ree is the independent, strong girl who relies on her brain and her strength to get out of her bad situation. The scenery as well as the plot are part of the classic southern gothic style, but the characters break away from the tradition. Winter’s Bone may be a new form of southern gothic. One that has evolved to incorporate female leads who are strong and can be the hero of the story. The other characters who think less of Ree because she is a girl are constantly proven wrong as Ree will not back down. This shows that a female protagonist can be the one who saves herself and those around her.
The film Winter’s Bone depicts the harsh reality of rural southern life. The gloomy and mysterious atmosphere of winter in Missouri demonstrate the story telling style of southern gothic. While the movie embraces many key characteristics of the southern gothic genre, the protagonist is one example in stark contrast with the genre. Ree Dolly is the lead character who does not embody the typical “damsel in distress” role that southern gothic is known for. Instead, Ree is the independent, strong girl who relies on her brain and her strength to get out of her bad situation. The scenery as well as the plot are part of the classic southern gothic style, but the characters break away from the tradition. Winter’s Bone may be a new form of southern gothic. One that has evolved to incorporate female leads who are strong and can be the hero of the story. The other characters who think less of Ree because she is a girl are constantly proven wrong as Ree will not back down. By never giving into gender hierarchies Ree demonstrates the idea that a female can be dominant and assume a role of power in order to save herself and those around her.
The Film “Winter’s Bone” sheds light on the unknown of the American South, where gender issues, class rankings, and cultural taboos run prominent. The movie depicts the hierarchal difference between man and woman in an environment where different classes of wealth is nonexistent. Woman are far from helpless, yet do not reap any of the same benefits as the men do. The protagonist Ree is forced to take care of her mentally ill mother and her two siblings, all while trying to find the whereabouts of her father–something nobody in her town is willing to talk about. Although Ree is related to most of the people she is asking for help from, family ties are completely disregarded, and male and female physical retaliation is utilized in hopes of teaching her a lesson. The barren land, gloomy atmosphere, and run down houses convey the style of the Southern Gothic. In an environment consumed by drugs, murder, and deep-rooted family issues, the entire film encompasses the stereotypical “other”. The cultural anxieties and the looming secret that haunt this film are challenged by Ree, who will stop at nothing to salvage what little her family has left.
The film “Winter’s Bone” encompasses the many characteristics of the Southern Gothic, while taking on a new twist. “Winter’s Bone” portrays the rural struggles of the American South, utilizing barren landscapes and run down houses to provide for a looming and eerie atmosphere. The main character Ree is a 17 year old girl who has had to step up as head of her household, with a mother too traumatized to speak, and with a missing father who nobody can seem to locate–or wants to for that matter. In the typical Southern gothic women are portrayed as the weak link, always taken advantage of by the stronger male forces. Ree challenges male dominance and faces much opposition in trying to locate her father, something none of her family wants to be apart of. The cultural anxieties shine through, in the extent the family is going to try and keep what became of Jessup a secret. In an environment consumed by drugs and murder and secrets the majority are in on, but fear just the same. The film represents the genre of the Southern Gothic in all aspects, and utilizes that representation to challenge it.
Winter’s Bone portrays lower class life in the rural South through the eyes of an audience that is unfamiliar with the real culture in that region. The film follows Ree, a strong, tough girl who carries the weight of her two younger siblings and mentally ill mother. However she claims she would be “lost without their weight”. Ree faces conflict in that her absent father has gone missing and her and her family will lose everything if he isn’t found. In her attempts to find him, she encounters a string of relatives and acquaintances who give no sympathy to her situation and are even hostile. The people in are presented as dirty, unfriendly and without common morals. They treat Ree terribly even though she points out that they share blood. The women carry a huge portion of daily responsibilities, yet the men are still wholly in charge. The movie uses Southern Gothic to present cultural stigmas about gender and class in the South from those who don’t really know about it.
The film Winter’s Bone uses setting, imagery and dialogue to convey lingering social paranoia of trust and loyalty in a decrepit Ozark community. The constant gray lighting and the gloom of the dead winter trees creates the haunting effect that the Southern Gothic is defined as. The constant looming of trees causes an enclosing effect, the audience feels trapped in this presented world, where everyone has enough problems that helping others (even kin) is unheard of. The film displays the effects of unspoken rules in a dysfunctional, meth-ridden community in Missouri through it lingering within the imagery and dialogues.
Winter’s Bone is a riveting film that depicts the poverty, social hierarchies, family and gender relations in the deep South. Winter’s Bone tells the story of the protagonist Ree who is in search of her drug dealing father. Ree is seventeen years old taking care of her two younger siblings and her disfunctional mother while her family is being threatened to lose . The film falls under the genre of Southern Gothic where the film used gloomy scenery, southern culture, and a suspenseful tone. The setting of the film with the tall enclosing trees, foggy areas, burnt down meth labs, and run-down homes sets up a very dark and gloomy feel to the film. The film is different from the traditional southern gothic definition because there was no slavery or racism presented within the film. This film challenges the typical southern gothic tale.
Winter’s Bone is a riveting film that depicts poverty, social hierarchies, family and gender relations in the back woods of Missouri. Winter’s Bone unveils the story of the protagonist Ree, who is in search of her drug dealing father. Ree is seventeen years old playing the role of both parents for her two younger siblings while her father is missing and her mother is dysfunctional. All while taking care of her siblings she has to find her father or the house will be repossessed leaving them with no where to go. The film falls under the genre of Southern Gothic. Winter’s Bone incorporated the tall enclosing trees, grey fig, burnt down meth labs and run-down homes to set up a very dark and gloomy feel that is seen in Southern Gothic films. Winter’s Bone is different from the traditional southern gothic definition because there was no slavery or racism presented. The film challenges the typical Southern Gothic tale.
Winters Bone exemplifies the dark life of the rural South. The film exhibits power and gender struggles within Ree’s family. The film can be considered a southern gothic in its dark design, its shots of the grey – forest enclosed – South and the run down lifestyle of poverty the characters are forced to live in. The film demonstrates the power struggle of the inhabitants of the land as well as the complicated gender roles. The power struggle is exemplified between “the law” and the southerners fighting everyday to put food on the table. When it comes to the gender roles in their society, it seems as though men control the household treating the women as servants. The females however, are the backbone of that household carrying out all the dirty work and acting as the messengers for their husbands. Different from the typical southern Gothic, this film challenges that genre in its lack of the common social anxiety found in other southern Gothics (Racism/slavery). Instead it focuses on the poor drugged out lifestyle of white southerners
Through its Southern Gothic genre, Winters Bone exemplifies the dark life of the rural South. The film can be considered a southern gothic in its dark design, its shots of the grey – forest enclosed – South and the run down lifestyle of poverty the characters are forced to live in. The film exemplifies the dark life of the rural south because of that power and gender struggle within Ree’s family. The power struggle is exemplified between “the law” and the southerners fighting everyday to put food on the table. When it comes to the gender roles in their society, it seems as though men control the household treating the women as servants. The females however, are the backbone of that household carrying out all the dirty work and acting as the messengers for their husbands. Different from the typical southern Gothic, this film challenges that genre in its lack of the common social anxiety found in other southern Gothics (Racism/slavery). Instead it focuses on the poor drugged out lifestyle of white southerners
Winter’s Bone provides insight into beliefs about social power within the family and society, as demonstrated by the character Ree. The movie highlights many stereotypes about both poor people and the south, such as the poor being druggies and people from the south being uneducated and prone to violence. Being a Southern Gothic, Winter’s Bone also uses the idea of the “ghost” in Ree’s father’s disappearance and death to define the idea of the “other,” which in this case is being poor. The film also accentuates many of the struggles that these people have to go through, such as not having enough money to eat, family issues, and the lack of parental control within the households. The bleak landscape and sense of feeling trapped due to the forest also play into the overall hopelessness of the film. The use of Southern Gothic style in Winter’s Bone highlights the fact that the poor are considered “others” in America, not being socially acceptable and being rejected in society as a result of their status.
Winter’s Bone provides insight into beliefs about social power within the family and society, as demonstrated by the character Ree. The movie highlights many stereotypes about both poor people, such as them being drug addicts and prone to violence. Being a Southern Gothic, Winter’s Bone also uses the idea of the “ghost” in Ree’s father’s disappearance and death to define the idea of the “other,” which in this case is being poor. The film accentuates many of the struggles that these people have to go through, such as not having enough money to eat, family issues, and the lack of parental control within the households. The bleak landscape and sense of feeling trapped due to the forest, both typical elements of a Southern Gothic, also play into the overall hopelessness of the film. The use of Southern Gothic style in Winter’s Bone calls attention to the fact that the poor are considered “others” in America, not being socially acceptable and rejected in society as a result of their status.
The film “Winter’s Bone” uses a Southern Gothic approach to depict the rough life of people in the rural south through the main protagonist, Ree Dolly. In order to find her father Ree has to break certain gender boundaries in an environment where social class is not much of an issue. All of the families in this film are poor and live in run down homes. Ree is not the typical female victim in a Southern Gothic work, helpless and weak. She has to take care of her two younger siblings, teaching them how to survive on their own (cooking, hunting, etc.) She has to also look after their mentally ill mother who is unresponsive. She exhibits many masculine traits, speaking to all people like she is on equal ground with them. Women in this environment have many of the same responsibilities as men do but it is shown that men still have the power, like when Teardrop’s wife tries to get the keys to his truck. Teardrop gives her a firm no and his wife knows not to argue with him. Also, even though she exhibits masculine traits, Ree is always initially looked down upon by men because she is a woman. Besides the gender-breaking characters, everything else has much to do with the Southern Gothic style. The mood in the film is gloomy and dark. There were very few scenes, if any at all, that had a an uplifting tone. One of the antagonists, Thump Milton, is a typical Southern Gothic antagonist. While he might not be a slave owner, he is a white man with a considerable amount of screen presence. No body would dare cross him or make him angry in any way. The true antagonist is the rural South itself and how these people have cope with it.
The film “Winter’s Bone” uses a Southern Gothic approach to depict the rough life of people in the rural south through the main protagonist, Ree Dolly. This film can be called Southern Gothic due to its plot and setting, however, many characters break gender stereotypes, which is not something that is usually found in these types of works. Ree is not the typical female victim in a Southern Gothic work, helpless and weak. She has to take care of her two younger siblings, teaching them how to survive on their own (cooking, hunting, etc). She also has to look after their mentally ill mother who is unresponsive. She exhibits many masculine traits, speaking to all people as though she is on equal ground with them. Another character that breaks gender boundaries is Thump Milton’s wife. She beats Ree for not listening to her warning and seemed to have a good amount of power in the Milton crime business. Women in this film have many of the same responsibilities as men do but it is shown that men still have the ultimate authority in the end, like when Teardrop’s wife tries to get the keys to her husband’s truck. Teardrop says no and she knows not to argue with him. Even though some of these characters break gender roles, the film takes place in a bleak and run down town, a typical Southern Gothic setting. The lighting throughout is very dark, and the audience can really feel the struggle that this family goes through just to get by living in this area. Thump Milton is also a very Southern Gothic antagonist. While he might not be a slave owner, he is a white man with a considerable amount of screen presence. No body would dare cross him or make him angry in any way.
Southern Gothic texts contain specific elements creating a dark and grim setting while addressing a social issue typically regarding the representation of life on a southern plantation. In the case of the film Winter’s Bone, this text explores the issues of poverty, gender competition, and the usual depictions of southern civilians. The protagonist character Ree shows audiences the life of a young, poor southern girl who has more responsibilities than one would imagine her capable of. In her fight to find her meth cooking father and save her family from losing their run down home, she comes across many other southern men who contribute to the representation of sexist, dirty, drug makers who leave the hard, unappreciated work to a seventeen year old girl. The mise-en-scene and the characters presented all categorize this film as apart of the Southern Gothic genre with the haunting of the misrepresentation of southern life and cultural anxiety.
Southern Gothic texts contain specific elements creating a dark and grim setting while addressing a social issue typically regarding the representation of life on a southern plantation. In the case of the film Winter’s Bone, this text explores the issues of poverty, gender competition, and the usual depictions of southern civilians. The seventeen year old protagonist character Ree shows audiences the life of a poor southern girl who has more responsibilities than one would imagine her capable of. In her fight to find her meth cooking father and save her family from losing their run down home, she comes across many other southern men who contribute to the representation of sexist, dirty, drug makers living in the South that appear in many Hollywood films and television shows in recent years. The mise-en-scene and the characters presented all categorize Winter’s Bone as a Southern Gothic film, addressing the cultural anxiety of gender roles and representation of Southern civilian life in the media today.
The movie Winter Bone portrays this Southern girl, Ree in which she defies the norms of a gender hierarchy where males have more authority than females. It also challenges the genre of a Southern Gothic movie in a way that the female isn’t the victim. Throughout the movie the whole image, including unpleasant clothing and shattered houses depicts the economic difficulties that Ree and her siblings face. With that, the image of dead trees and gloomy scenes also really sets the mood of the setting of a Southern Gothic movie. This also plays a role in portraying the characters in such a broken environment and allowing the audience to feel the difficulties that the characters are facing. Thus, the set design of the whole movie impacted the way the audience heavily feel about the social difference of the characters.
The movie Winter’s Bone portrays this Southern girl, Ree who lives in the South and is economically suffering. Throughout the movie the whole image, including unpleasant clothing and shattered houses depicts the economic difficulties that Ree and her siblings face. With that, the image of dead trees and gloomy scenes also really sets the mood of the setting of a Southern Gothic movie. This also plays a role in portraying the Southern Gothic characters in such a broken environment and allowing the audience to feel the difficulties that the characters are facing. Thus, Winter’s Bone uses set design and the conventions of these to portray the social differences of the characters.
Winter’s Bone provides a bone chilling reality about a teenage girl living in the sexist, drug-ridden south. Throughout the movie, Ree has to fight against the stereotypes of not only being a young Southern woman, but also of her missing drug making father who as left her to take care of her mentally ill mother and her little siblings. Along with all of the pressure she has to cope with of her father going M.I.A. and the stressful search for him, with pressure from the law officials restricting her along the way. In relation to the Southern Gothic genre, this film displays the major components that exemplify this genre. This is exemplified in the coloring of the scenes, large plantations, run down houses, and haunting social issues of representation. This film shows a side to the South that differs from the usual southern representation of slavery. This film focuses on the impoverish white southern families living in the south, showing the Southern gothic genre through its fictional storyline that addresses a real haunting social issue.
Winter’s Bone provides a bone chilling reality about a teenage girl living in the sexist, drug-ridden south who not only fights against the stereotypes of being a young Southern woman, but also must carry the pressure of nurturing for her siblings and mentally ill mother because of her fathers absence. Throughout the movie, many Southern Gothic genre elements exist because it is set in the ominous woods of Missouri. The villain is her run away father who is evading authorities because of a past business venture which is not entirely legal. Many southern Gothic elements are exemplified in the coloring of the scenes, large run down houses on the plantations, and haunting social issues of representation. This film show displays the Southern gothic genre through its fictional storyline that addresses a real haunting social issue.
The film Winter’s Bone encompasses the tale of a young Southern woman as she struggles to uncover secrets that continue to be pushed deeper and deeper. Life is hard in the rural south, and poverty is at the center of the film and in the main character’s life. Ree will stop at nothing to protect her family, demonstrating the strong female role that is not often seen. The movie explores the strong power and family aspect included, exemplifying the epitome of the Southern Gothic genre while some contrasts are also presented.
Winter’s Bone provides a glimpse into the life of one teenage girl in the poor, rural south. In the world of Ree, the main character, women have great power within the social structure. It is Ree’s job to care for her mother and two young siblings. However, while this is true, the film ultimately reinforces gender stereotypes by placing the highest level of power not with the women, but with the men. A teenage girl may be the main character, but the fact that her father is the only person capable of making the situation right again proves that this film, while pushing boundaries of gender, doesn’t challenge stereotypes in any way.
Winter’s Bone provides a glimpse into the life of one teenage girl in the poor, rural south. In the world of Ree, the main character, women have great power within the social structure. It is Ree’s job to care for her mother and two young siblings. However, while this is true, the film ultimately reinforces gender stereotypes by placing the highest level of power not with the women, but with the men. Winter’s Bone uses the gloomy and dark nature of the southern gothic genre to put on display the sad state of the culture of power between genders of people in lower class Missouri.