Hollywood productions take a fair deal of interest in showcasing historical events but as it very often turns out, they take liberty in rewriting history, incidents or characters in order to make the movie more entertaining & the storyline more gripping in an attempt to please the audience.
The movie “Iron Jawed Angels” portrays the struggle of suffragists led by Alice Paul & Lucy Burns, and their relentless efforts for the 19th Amendment to the American Constitution which gave women the right to vote, also known as the Woman Suffrage. The movie sticks to the true events for most parts but it does add a few facts and some fictional characters to make it entertaining to the viewers.
Firstly, when the NAWSA Board allowed Paul & Burns to take
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To start with, Emily Leighton & her senator husband Tom Leighton play particularly strong roles, with the former a representation of mothers in the suffragist movement. While her husband represents the mindset of most senators about the suffrage movement. The only close link of the two fictional characters with history is when she slips Alice Paul’s note to her husband about their treatment in jail, and about being forced fed when they went on hunger strike. Contrary to this event, according to historical facts the news of their ill treatment was leaked out to the press, not as depicted by the fictional of Mr. & Mrs. Leighton.
Ben Weissman, another fictional character who plays the role of a cartoonist in the Washington Post & also Alic e Paul’s love interest illustrates the importance of the entertainment factor. He was used to add the romantic element to the movie, which is in huge contrast to history which has no mention of Alice Paul ever being involved with someone during this period while the suffrage movement was on.
Overall the film beautifully portrays Alice Paul & her struggle for the 19th Amendment to the American constitution even though the truth was rewritten in some parts, new characters incorporated. This attempt was pretty much successful. The changes & additions made the movie watchable which perhaps