After it was mentioned in class, I watched the movie Saved! Mary, the protagonist, sees herself as a "good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school where she has good Christian friends and [...] a perfect Christian boyfriend" (IMDb). Hilary Faye is the most popular girl at the school, and the most outwardly religious. Other important characters are Dean (Mary's boyfriend), Roland (Hilary Faye's wheelchair-bound brother), and Cassandra (the rebellious Jew). The seemingly perfect Christian life starts to go awry when:
- Dean admits he might be gay
- Mary decides to have sex with him to "cure" him of this
- Her plan fails, she ends up pregnant, and Dean's parents send him to Mercy House which will supposedly rid him of this condition
- Hilary Faye, who turns out to be extremely selfish, ridicules anyone who she sees as less Christian than herself
- Cassandra tries to cause as much trouble as possible while humiliating Hilary Faye and poking fun at Christianity
- Roland falls for Cassandra and admits he is not a Christian
To cut to the chase, Mary ends up having the baby and falling for Patrick (the pastor's son), Dean finds a boyfriend, Hilary Faye gets what's coming to her and learns to accept everyone, Cassandra is less rebellious and she and Roland are a happy couple, and the movie ends with Mary's inner musings about religion.
For as cheesy and predictable as it was, I thought the movie had some interesting aspects. To start with, it shows Mary's spiritual journey. At first, she is a blind believer, a "good" Christian who honestly thinks that the right thing to do for Dean is to cure him of his homosexuality. However, when she becomes pregnant (her name draws a parallel to the Virgin Mary, whom she references during the movie), Mary begins to question her faith. The pregnant Mary stands in front of a cross at her church and yells, "Sh*t.... f*ck.... god d*mn," expecting God to smite her where she stands but instead receiving no divine reaction whatsoever. During this difficult time, she thinks Jesus isn't listening, and starts to wonder if Dean's homosexuality is not a "condition." By the end of the movie, Mary has come back to find God in her own way, saying when her baby is born that life is too beautiful not to have a creator.
I think the film essentially shows what Christian values should be, as opposed to what they evolve into under the influence of churches, organizations, and society in general. Hilary Faye is an example of this. She SEEMS like the perfect Christian: she participates in every activity, prays and talks about Jesus constantly, and chauffeurs her handicapped brother. However, we discover little by little that Hilary Faye is completely self-absorbed and only helps her brother because she has to. Our feelings of revulsion toward her are particularly strong in a scene where she tries to figure out what is wrong with Mary, flinging a Bible at her and screaming, "I am FILLED with God's love!" It becomes clear to us that this is not what a true Christian should be. We see more Christian values in Cassandra, who is Jewish, when she helps Mary with her pregnancy. Ironically, the most Christian love and acceptance towards one's neighbor is shown in the final scene, when the school has been graffiti'ed, the statue of Jesus destroyed, and the Christian prom completely ruined. The viewer is left with a clear message that faith and Christian love come from within, and are not dependent on a church or religious school.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Some views on the hijab
This has nothing to do with what we're talking about in class, but it does relate to my site visit to the Colorado Muslim Society this weekend.
I was not sure what to wear to be appropriately covered for a Muslim activity, so I looked online for some tips. Here is an interesting article I found:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Choosing-to-Wear-the-Muslim-Headscarf/1
It talks about American woman Krista Bremer, her Libyan-born husband, and their daughter Aliya's reception of the two cultures. The mother said she was "confident that she would favor my comfortable American lifestyle over his [her husband's] modest Muslim upbringing." She was shocked, however, when her daughter begged for a Muslim headscarf to wear. Bremer is apprehensive at first, and wonders what people will think. She supports her daughter's decision, but is definitely aware of the reaction from community members: "In the produce aisle, a woman reaching for an apple fixed me with an overly bright, solicitous smile that said 'I embrace diversity and I am perfectly fine with your child.'" Then Bremer talks about how she behaved as a child and then as an adolescent, describing the progression from a carefree lifestyle to an obsession with physical appearance. She eventually arrives at the realization that the hijab could be a good thing for her daughter; Aliya doesn't care what people think of her, and the covered-up Muslim dress would allow her to show her inner beauty, not expose her entire body. "As I pulled away from the curb, I imagined that headscarf having magical powers to protect her boundless imagination, her keen perception, and her unself-conscious goodness."
I think this article provides an interesting perspective because of the mother's internal dilemma. On one hand, she wants her daughter to be free to make her own choices; on the other, she is aware of the stereotypes of headscarves in America and wonders if it would create difficulties for her daughter. One thing I am finding as I research more into this topic is that hijab is not in itself a symbol of oppression. Although many women argue that the Qur'an commands that a woman be covered, some interpret it otherwise. Many agree that a hijab is only part of the equation - that it is also necessary to behave modestly, not just dress that way. Aliya's choice certainly shows that a woman would voluntarily take the hijab and probably the life choices it implies as well. It would be interesting to see if she continues down a path to Islam.
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Another website I found after my visit to the CMS was this one, called "Hijab Style: We Love Hijab":
http://welovehijab.com/
It is a blog created by a Muslim woman, and its purpose is to give readers ideas to make fashionable, modest outfits that incorporate the headscarf. The blogger uses pictures from fashion magazines and puts together ensembles that would be appropriately covering. For example, she pairs a short dress with wide-leg pants, a cardigan, and the scarf, then decorates the outfit with matching jewelry and shoes. This website seems like a good way for Muslim women to look stylish even though they have to be covered up. The blogger is adamant that covering the body except for the face, hands, and feet, is a requirement in the Qur'an, and she repeatedly criticizes clothing for not meeting these requirements. She also emphasizes the modest lifestyle that goes along with the hijab. It is weird for me to read something like, "Unfortunately these pants are too form-fitting" or "You should buy this dress one size too big so as not to show off your waist." It is a completely different perspective on clothing; as an American girl, I'm accustomed to seeing (and buying) clothing that shows off every curve of a woman's body, and I have friends who deliberately buy items one size too small so it reveals even more. However, looking at the elegance of some of these outfits, I can see how dressing modestly is not such a bad thing. The beauty is created by the matching colors and the quality of each individual piece, not by the fact that skin is showing in as many places as possible and nothing is left to the imagination.
I want to find more stories about the hijab. I would like to get a feel for women's opinion on this topic in different countries: How do they interpret the Qur'an with respect to body covering? Do they like the hijab or hate it? Does it give them a sense of security? What are the personal values associated with it, and do these women find themselves adhering to these values or not?
I was not sure what to wear to be appropriately covered for a Muslim activity, so I looked online for some tips. Here is an interesting article I found:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Choosing-to-Wear-the-Muslim-Headscarf/1
It talks about American woman Krista Bremer, her Libyan-born husband, and their daughter Aliya's reception of the two cultures. The mother said she was "confident that she would favor my comfortable American lifestyle over his [her husband's] modest Muslim upbringing." She was shocked, however, when her daughter begged for a Muslim headscarf to wear. Bremer is apprehensive at first, and wonders what people will think. She supports her daughter's decision, but is definitely aware of the reaction from community members: "In the produce aisle, a woman reaching for an apple fixed me with an overly bright, solicitous smile that said 'I embrace diversity and I am perfectly fine with your child.'" Then Bremer talks about how she behaved as a child and then as an adolescent, describing the progression from a carefree lifestyle to an obsession with physical appearance. She eventually arrives at the realization that the hijab could be a good thing for her daughter; Aliya doesn't care what people think of her, and the covered-up Muslim dress would allow her to show her inner beauty, not expose her entire body. "As I pulled away from the curb, I imagined that headscarf having magical powers to protect her boundless imagination, her keen perception, and her unself-conscious goodness."
I think this article provides an interesting perspective because of the mother's internal dilemma. On one hand, she wants her daughter to be free to make her own choices; on the other, she is aware of the stereotypes of headscarves in America and wonders if it would create difficulties for her daughter. One thing I am finding as I research more into this topic is that hijab is not in itself a symbol of oppression. Although many women argue that the Qur'an commands that a woman be covered, some interpret it otherwise. Many agree that a hijab is only part of the equation - that it is also necessary to behave modestly, not just dress that way. Aliya's choice certainly shows that a woman would voluntarily take the hijab and probably the life choices it implies as well. It would be interesting to see if she continues down a path to Islam.
-------------------------
Another website I found after my visit to the CMS was this one, called "Hijab Style: We Love Hijab":
http://welovehijab.com/
It is a blog created by a Muslim woman, and its purpose is to give readers ideas to make fashionable, modest outfits that incorporate the headscarf. The blogger uses pictures from fashion magazines and puts together ensembles that would be appropriately covering. For example, she pairs a short dress with wide-leg pants, a cardigan, and the scarf, then decorates the outfit with matching jewelry and shoes. This website seems like a good way for Muslim women to look stylish even though they have to be covered up. The blogger is adamant that covering the body except for the face, hands, and feet, is a requirement in the Qur'an, and she repeatedly criticizes clothing for not meeting these requirements. She also emphasizes the modest lifestyle that goes along with the hijab. It is weird for me to read something like, "Unfortunately these pants are too form-fitting" or "You should buy this dress one size too big so as not to show off your waist." It is a completely different perspective on clothing; as an American girl, I'm accustomed to seeing (and buying) clothing that shows off every curve of a woman's body, and I have friends who deliberately buy items one size too small so it reveals even more. However, looking at the elegance of some of these outfits, I can see how dressing modestly is not such a bad thing. The beauty is created by the matching colors and the quality of each individual piece, not by the fact that skin is showing in as many places as possible and nothing is left to the imagination.
I want to find more stories about the hijab. I would like to get a feel for women's opinion on this topic in different countries: How do they interpret the Qur'an with respect to body covering? Do they like the hijab or hate it? Does it give them a sense of security? What are the personal values associated with it, and do these women find themselves adhering to these values or not?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Testing, testing 1, 2, 3
Welcome to my blog for RLST 2600 at CU Boulder, Fall 2011. Just checking out how it works, then I'll start posting.
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