In the movie Coco, the character Imelda Rivera is a prime example representing the liberal feminist perspective. As a reminder for what this perspective is, a liberal feminist perspective focuses primarily on providing opportunities for the inclusion of women in traditionally male-dominated areas. One example of a male-dominated area is a person running a business. In the beginning of the film, we’re introduced to the context of the Rivera family and how Imelda challenged this assumption by starting a shoe business.
Not only did Imelda open a business, but she expanded it over time, gathering success over her entire life. Since in the beginning, when she was successful and happy with how she was able to provide for her family, Imelda didn’t fulfill the expectations of occluded preferred readings since women typically aren’t suited for these positions. However, later in the movie, Imelda’s character adapts back into a character that can fulfill the expectations of occluded preferred readings. Some aspects of patriarchy is that a woman can only be truly fulfilled if they have a romantic relationship. Imelda may have become an independent woman fulfilling primarily male-dominated opportunities through the lens of the liberal feminist perspective, but later, she reveals that she banished music to continue building a foundation. She banished the one reminder she had of her husband.
Later, Imelda is soon reunited with her husband, Hector. After learning that he was murdered in his attempts to come home and that he is being forgotten, she agreed to help keep his memory alive. However Imelda is put in a situation where she has to face the one thing she associated with her husband. After singing in front of a large crowd while Hector played the guitar, Imelda becomes happy to be with her husband again, forgetting how he left herself and their daughter.
Imelda Sings "La Llorona" While Hector Plays the Guitar
Imelda is still viewed as the head of the family, a traditionally male-dominated area, because of the success she achieved constructing a shoe business. In the beginning, it’s clear that she had found satisfaction living with her daughter and developing a business to support her entire family. Through the liberal feminist perspective, she is provided opportunities in male-dominated fields, despite being a woman, and it contradicts the status quo for a large chunk of the film. However, midway through the film, Imelda’s character embraces an occluded, preferred text by revealing that she wasn’t entirely happy with the opportunities she had because women are expected to only be fulfilled when they are in romantic relationships. What are your thoughts on the expectation that women can only be happy when they’re in romantic relationships? In this example, do you feel Imelda banishing music was her protecting her family or do you think it was her hiding from the love she lost?
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