Whale Rider The whale rider covers the life of Paikea who according to her society’s standards cannot be anything more than a housewife and mother due to the fact that she was born a girl. Normally this would be a given for her society however, as the only descendant of a line of chiefs she is the one that is destined to lead this tribe. This creates the conflict of interest that we see in the movie as Paikea must fulfill her role as a female while also fighting to prove to her grandpa that she has what it takes to become chief. This parallels very well with how woman in our modern culture are treated and how women over history have had to deal with. The story of Paikea is one of great hardship to prove that no matter what gender one is, they can accomplish anything if they try hard enough. The film begins with the birth of Paikea and her twin brother, during the birth Paikea brother and mother died, leaving Paikea who is a girl the only descendant of a line of chiefs. This causes a huge disappointment for her grandfather who as been waiting to have a new boy to take over the chief position. Paikea’s grandfather didn’t view Paikea as anything but his granddaughter. He never even thought …show more content…
Women today, even though do have the opportunity to work, are pushed to be stay at home moms and clean while the man is the breadwinner of the home. Woman are also expected to present themselves in a certain way in society such as Paikea had to present herself as a girl and not as the future chief. Woman must carry themselves and certain way and only pursue hobbies and interests that fit what the idea of society views females doing. These are things that many women deal with and that Paikea had to deal with as well however Paikea shows that stereotypes were meant to be challenged even if it may be