Topic > Traditional family roles in The Guardian by William Friedkin

Traditional family roles are put to the test in The Guardian by William Friedkin when a young couple decides to hire a nanny to help them raise their son while they continue their career.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhat dangers lurk when mom has to work? is the question that resonates in this film. Traditionally, a woman is expected to stay at home, raise children and take care of the house. It was not acceptable for a mother to work outside the home. As times changed and more families felt economic pressures, two income households became a common occurrence. However, a woman not only became a breadwinner, but also had to maintain her traditional role as wife and mother. It was and still is considered unacceptable for a woman to admit she needed help balancing her career and family life. For some women, it's even a little embarrassing to admit that they are not superwomen and cannot live up to the impossible and exhausting role that society entrusts them with. When Kate decides to go back to work to help out with finances, she and Ned decide to hire a nanny to help them raise their newborn son, Jake. The non-traditional role Kate takes on as a working mother is further defined by the fact that she needs help raising her son, and the film attempts to send a distorted message about the dangers that can occur when women loosen their grip on the role of working mother. maternity. Throughout the film, Kate is portrayed as self-centered and unaware of the evil happening around her. His character is just happy doing what he wants to do. Friedkin rarely shows her with her child. There are only a few scenes where she is seen holding Jake. When she and Ned try to escape from Camilla, it is Ned who holds the baby and Kate who runs into the house leaving Ned and the baby to escape through the woods. Although Kate's intentions were good in trying to lure Camilla away from Ned and Jake and Kate actually hit Camilla with their jeep, the scene is an attempt to show Kate as a bad mother by abandoning her role as protector towards Ned and adopting the role of the hero. Ned is portrayed throughout the film as the logical hero. He's the classic father who knows best and tries to make up for his failure to provide for his family by saving them. Throughout the film, Ned is a father, mother, detective, and expert of the day. Even when he starts having sexual dreams about Camilla, he shakes off the urge to be a better man. Ned's role as a traditional father is also challenged throughout the film, but not in the same harsh way as Kate's. The audience feels sympathy for Ned because he is the hero. Not only must he be a provider, but he must also take care of his son and protect his family from the evil he discovers. Ned usually generates more animosity for Kate's character. The audience is tempted to ask: where is the mother in all this? Camilla is the ultimate monster in this film. Although the film refers to her as the guardian, she is actually her own guardian. Instead of giving life to a child, he takes it. However, Camilla is shown in the film as more of a mother figure than Kate, in the sense that she is the protector and caregiver of the tree she worships. Like any mother, she does what she must to support her family, or in this case, her legacy. However, Camilla is the evil mother who feeds on innocents to maintain her power. The ending of The Guardian follows the traditional theme of good that.