ABSTRACT

Much current discussion of chick flicks briefly mentions their antecedents in earlier film history, while touting the evolution of female lead characters. Clearly, some of today’s romantic comedy heroines and the female protagonists of melodrama engage in sexual encounters much more openly and with less direct chastisement for doing so than did some of their predecessors. However, we should not confuse engaging in sex acts or actively pursuing partners outside marriage with all that constitutes a desiring subject. In fact many of today’s heroines seem to know or discover less about their desires than some of their ancestors. It is for this reason that we should compare structures, delving beneath certain superficial characteristics and references that differentiate the time periods.