Genesis noir reflection8/31/2023 Madge is not the typical femme fatale that we have read so far in, class but she still poses a threat and traps the main character like the femme fatale archetype. Bob is aware of this, he states, “I was used to white woman doing all sorts of things to tease or annoy the coloured men…”(Himes,19) What makes Madge so different from Velma and Bridget is that her character is not a woman that is taking advantage of the patriarchy to get what she wants, she is taking advantage of the next best thing – her race. Now if we take a look at the first introduction to Madge in If He Hollers Let Him Go, it is evident that she takes pleasure in making Bob’s life difficult, and contrary Bob is the one who has to ask Madge for help when he needed a tacker. Both of these characters utilize their feminine allure, to attract the main character. Bridget wanted help by having a private investigation, and Velma wanted help in finding her jade necklace. What do I mean by changing her approach? Well if we take a look at Maltese Falcons’ Bridget O’Shagnessy and Farewell My Lovely’s Velma both characters were introduced to the main character by asking him for help. In the books that we have read so far regarding the Noir genre, I would argue that in the book If He Hollers Let Him Go, the femme fatale has changed her approach to achieving what she wants, but still holds on to the characteristics of the archetype. The Femme Fatale has evolved over time to keep up with the times. However, the characteristics of the Femme Fatale (beauty, destructive, seductress, temptress, leading the main character to a trap) have been around since ancient stories like Genesis. The Femme Fatale is a character that started appearing on the silver screen during the 1940s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |