During the 1950’s the United States was a powerful nation when it came to the military but during this time period there were many conflicts such as the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was a time when many Americans started speaking up about segregation, inequality and injustice. African Americans have been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; however during the 1950’s this heated topic became very mainstream. In movies Hairspray and Dreamgirls this topic of racism and segregation are expressed greatly.
The movie Hairspray sets in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland. During this time period men and boys would wear suits for events and layback suits for school while the women and girls would wear brightly colored conservative…show more content… The main ones that I would like to discuss are the conflicts between Velma and her daughter Amber and between penny and her mother prudy. Velma puts so much pressure on Amber because she wants her to be the best of the best, in the end Velma gets beyond upset because Amber lost the beauty queen competition. Amber realised at the end that desegregation wasn't such a bad thing and that it looked more fun, whereas Velma was disgusted by the mix up. The next conflict is between Penny and her mom Prudy, Penny loves dancing just like her best friend Tracy but Prudy thinks it's a disgrace. Penny doesn't have much of a strong voice but in the end we see she goes against her moms ways and defines her. Prudy is an extreme Catholic who tied up her daughter when she sins (goes and dances). Penny not only dances at the end of the movie but she dances with her boyfriend, Seaweed J. Stubbs, an African…show more content… This part gave me shivers and made me realise that I want to get through life just like Effie.
I believe the main lesson the film is trying to convey is the lesson of never giving up and to dream. Everyone must keep trying and trying until they succeed. If you can dream it, you can make it happen. Effie didn't give up when her own brother chose fame over her or when her best friends didn't complain when Curtis kicked her off the Dreamettes. I think the following quote describes the lesson of this film- " if you are tired of failing stop giving up."
during this time racism was in the middle stage but towards the end which was 10 years later in their lives the racism became less intense. The historical events in this film were valid.
Both films discuss segregation and the merge into desegregation. I believe they share the same message which is to do what you love whether it's dancing or singing and to never give up even if many people push you down, whether it's Velma or Curtis don't push back just ride