First Wives Club Essay, Research Paper
Sociology
First Wives’ Club Essay
10-19-01
Discuss how the women in the movie cope with inequality and rejection and adhere to new values and lifestyles.
“The First Wives’ Club” allows us to view social inequality and injustice from the perspective of three strong and powerful women. Dumped, divorced, and demoralized, Brenda, Elise, and Annie find a way to make the best of one of life’s most unpleasant situations.
The “first wives” decide to take action against their ex-husbands and seek revenge for both material and egotistical reasons. The women had been friends through college, and continue to be a source of constant support for one another even now. Upon learning that a close friend from college had committed suicide because of her first husband, they decide to stop feeling sorry for themselves and do something about what’s been going on.
They form a club called “The First Wives Club” and declare war. No longer would their husbands and their new, younger, sexier wives bring them down. Its motto can be summed up in the words of Ivana Trump, who shows up as herself and advises the first wives,
By forming a group of women with similar experiences, they are able to derive strength from one another. It’s a proven fact that women cope by sympathizing with each other because it shows them that they’re not alone. The three friends turn their revenge into something positive by using it to help other women.
They now have to adhere to new values. Instead of focusing on what’s best for them and their marriage, they can concentrate on what they want and doing something for themselves for a change.
They find that as they go along, it only gets easier to forget about these men. Their husbands are complete cads without an ounce of compassion. Annie’s soon-to-be-ex husband took her to bed one last time before declaring that he wants a divorce. Nothing like waiting for the right time. Its things like this that give them more incentive.
Through scams, schemes, and strength, these women give new meaning to the old adage, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.