A Struggle for Unity
Race, gender, and class; often viewed as mere words but it is through characters that we
can personalize and understand these issues. “Norma Rae” portrayed the unacceptable
working conditions that were endured by the employees of the textile mills in North
Carolina. Rae went through unimaginable hardships in attempt to achieve better labor
regulations and overcome her cultural oppression.
Marilyn Frye’s birdcage theory, talks about the “myopic” focus, and outlook most people
have when it comes to race, gender, and class. When inspecting the wires of the cage one
by one very closely, you are not capable of seeing why the bird is enclosed in the cage. “It
is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take
a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go
anywhere.” The simplicity of this example speaks for itself and we see this theory played
out in Norma Rae. Norma Rae is a complex character that cannot be understood by being
put under a microscope, but only when studied as a product of her environment, and the
series of events that shaped her life.
Films have played a big role when it comes to dealing with gender, race, and class. Norma
Rae did an excelled job of defining working-class life and culture. It provided a portrayal
of the trials and tribulations that came along with being a textile worker in the 1970s.
Though it was an integrated factory, race was evident in some aspects of the movie. At a
