"Ron...My name is Dorothy, not tootsie, or toot or sweety or honey or dove. No, just Dorothy. Now, Allan's always Allan; Tom's always Tom, and John's always John - I have a name too. It's D-O-R-O-T-H-Y, Dorothy."
that to me signalled the change in power dynamics on set during the film.
It's interesting how Dorothy did not correct the doctor when he cut her off, did not listen to her or even try to take liberties with her. Instead, her pet peeve was the way he addressed her. By demanding to be referred to by her given name, Dorothy is putting herself as an equal to the men. With that, she would have to be given the due respect and voice, empowering her on the set.
In a world where males hold dominance in the public sphere, the foremost thing a female needs to possess before she can claim any form of power is her name. It is an outward symbol that she is her own person, not the property of another person. I bring in reference to how it was customary in ancient China to only name males. Even til today, many clan genealogy books state the generation name for males only. Females were rarely given proper names, other than the perfunctory "da mei", "er mei", in accordance of their age. Without even having an identity, how can females be expected to be respected by others?
In this day and age where we all have given names with fanciful meanings behind them, can it be said that the balance of power has shifted in favour of the female gender?
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