True Grit

        I had never heard about True Grit before, but when I was watching this movie I really admired the life of Mattie, the main character. Mattie has strong confidence and is an active person, and she knows what she has to do. Her behavior can be seen as rude but really she just speaks her mind. I could see that she was claiming her right with confidence when she was bargaining for the horse and hiring the sheriff to catch a criminal. After watching the movie I just fell in love with her braveness but I could not be like her even though the period I live in is better than the one she lived in. 

In 1870, the western exploration period showed how cruel and confusing society was. Most people killed each other for survival without guilt, and the woman’s right was very weak. The only way to make money was to kill a wanted criminal like in a quest. During this time people focused on survival and there was very little morality. The western period is an example of a time when men were stronger than women and had more rights. In True Grit, two men describe a woman as weaker than a man and would not accept a young girl on their journey. However, Mattie is a young girl, and she got respect from two men who go the journey with her. The reason why those two men respect Mattie is that they can feel the grit of Mattie and accept her. A person who wants to get respect from other people needs to be brave and protect their own rights.

Today, still women’s rights are weaker than men’s and often women get an unfair deal like getting paid less than men, being used for sexual appeal, and receiving sexual assault comments. Unexpectedly it happens a lot everywhere. For example, some companies do not want to hire women because they might be pregnant and will have to take time off work which costs the company money. Today, a lot of women show their power and protest their treatment through the movement for gender equality. Many people support gender equality but the position of women still has not changed. Mattie represents strong woman figures facing obstacles and many women want to be like her. Women today need to be like Mattie and can not give up.