Suffragette

Paula Barrero Saiz, 4ºA

Questionnaire

It wasn't only one thing what made Maud change heropinion, but the sum of different facts she noticed

around. Anyway, I think the turning point was to seehis boss abusing Violet's daughter.

1. In the beginning, the main character(Maud) seemed reluctant to join the

Suffragist movement. What made her changeher mind?

2. Were Suffragettes only middle-class women? Or was it a cross-class

movement? Justify your answer using examples from the film.

No, there were women from different social classes, so it was a cross-class movement. For

example, we can appreciate this differencebetween Maud or Violet and Alice. Also

between Maud and Edith (the pharmacist) because of their jobs.

Alice was a high-class woman.

Edith was a middle-classwoman who worked as a pharmacist instead of in a factory like Maud. She hadstudied in the University.

3. When the women in prison are released, can you see any difference because of

their social status? Justify your answer.

Yes, I can. Alice and the pharmacist's husbands came to pick up them, even by car; but some of the women were not as lucky: they had to go home alone by foot. At least, other suffragettes waited for them and gave

the newly released women flowers to encourage them.

Suffragettes encouraging the newly released women.

Edith's husband waiting for her.A lot of the suffragettes had been

abandoned by their families.

4. What personal and family related consequences does the fact of joining the Suffragist movement entail for Maud?

Her husband threw her out of their house because he was embarrased of having a Suffragette as a wife. She had to live in a guesthouse alone or even sleep in the church because she had no place to go. That

made her really sad because she couldn't spend time with his son.

Maud was deprived of her son, but she tried to be with him as much as

possible.

She lost her job as well.

5. The film shows some violent actions,

a. What types of planned violent actions are shown in the film? And not planned?

Planned violence: throwing stones, plant the bomb, explode the mailboxes...

Not planned violence: police's assaults, Maud hitting her boss with the iron...

b. Can it be said Suffragettes did not want any personal harm and casualties as a result of their

actions? Give examples.

Absolutely. They always tried to protest avoiding any kind of victims. For example, they acted during the

night or when the streets were empty, like when they exploded the mailboxes. When they planted the bomb in the house, they made sure there wasn't

anybody inside as well.

c. During one of the conversations which Maud has with the Police Inspector, what is the reason given

by Maud to justify the use of violence?

She argues that violence and war is the only language men can understand, words can do nothing in that

situation.

d. What situations of explicit and implicit violence against women are shown in the

film?They are beaten in many occasions. they are insulted

and underestimated. Some of them are sexually assaulted. Maud, for example can't use the money she earns, she suffers economic abuse. They are

forced to eat in prison.

6. Describe the attitude towards suffragism and towards women shown by some of the

men that appear in the film:

a. Sonny, Maud's husband.b. Pharmacist's husband.c. Mr. Steed, the police inspector.d. Lloyd George (the minister).e. Alice Haughton's husband.f. Mr. Taylor, Maud's employer.

a. Sonny is afraid. He doesn't want Maud to join theSuffragettes because that would make people talk badlyabout her an her family, so when she joins them, he doesn't allow Maud enter home again.

b. He was involved in his wife's fight as well, and helpedthe Suffragettes in many occasions, but he was worriedabout Edith's health and stopped her from going to theDerby.

c. He is against the Suffragette movement at the beginning. He told maud nobody would hear a woman, but really he doesn't like to imprison them. He only does it because he thinks his task is to enforce the law. At the end of thefilm we can appreciate how he thinks the way policesand men treated women, and specially Suffragettes, isexcesive.

d. He actually wanted to help them. Maud's speech made him realise how women suffered, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to convince the rest of the Parliament to change the laws.

e. He only appears once in the film, when he pays to release his wife, but he refuses to help the other women in prison. He doesn't like the Suffragette movement.

f. He thought women were more inferior than men. He was cruel and even abused sexually some of the workers of his factory. He was sexist and laughed at the Suffragettes's ideas.

7. The hard working conditions of the time are shown in the film. Give examples to justify that in

the laundry these conditions were worse for women than they were for men.

In the film some of these inequalities are mentioned: women worked more hours per day. Their work was more dangerous due to the machines and the chemical products they used. A

lot of women suffered diseases and accidents because of those hard conditions they had to put out with.

Men worked outside as well, but women were always inside the factory doing the same little action once and once again.

And of course, one of the worst things shown in the film is that some of those women were sexually abused.

Maud worked inside while Sonny had to deliver things and went outside.

8. At the end of the film you can see a real incident which marked a turning point in the history of the Suffragist movement. What was it and why

was it so controversial?

It was Emily Wilding Davison's death in the Derby.It's controversial because some people say she held

out hope of hanging the Suffragette's flag in the king's horse, but other people think that she knew

she would die.Also, a piece of evidence supporting people that say

she didn't plan her death is the ticket she had for a party that evening.

The real images of Emily's death in the Derby.

Here the Suffragette magazine portrays Emily as an angel. She

became the martyr of the women's movement.

Real images of Emily's funeral. Thousands of

people went to this ceremony, and it was a

turning point for the Suffragette's fight.

9. The film ends by revealing women's right were recognized in Britain in 1928. Scrolling text

reveal other countries who followed suit to the present day. When were Spanish women granted this right? And why was it suspended short time

after?

Spanish women achieved this right during the Second Spanish Republic, specifically in 1931.

Regretfully, it was suspended when the Civil War began. Then, in 1939, Franco's dictatorial regime

started so they couldn't vote until 1975.

Group of Spanish women voting for the first time in 1933.

My conclusion

I really liked the film. It shows how hard lifecould be for women in those years. And how

they fought to change it.

The rights we have nowadays have beenachieved thanks to past fights, so all we mustdo is to show gratitude for that brave peoplewho made the world a fairer place. And of

course, continue these fights until we get thesame for future generations: rights and a betterplace to live, without any kind of oppression or

discrimination.