The Role Of Taboos In The 1950s And 1960s

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Societal expectations and taboos in the 1950s and 1960s revolved around community-wide views, whereas today, they are centered on the freedoms of the individual. This is shown through the films Far From Heaven and Revolutionary Road (both of which situated in the mid-20th century) through the lack freedom to express homosexuality, the rejection of interracial relationship, and the unavailability of abortion services. In the past, expressing homosexuality led to the loss of your job, whereas today, it is acceptable to embody homosexuality if that is one’s true identity. In the movie Far From Heaven when Frank Whitaker was put on “a month of rest and relaxation” from his job due to his lack of productivity, which was caused by the treatment for his homosexuality. Frank is willing to risk his job…show more content…
This is evident in Far From Heaven when Mona Lauder spots Cathy Whitaker with Raymond Deagon near the North Arlington Motors car wash. Mona is in shock after seeing Cathy stepping out of the car of a coloured person, to the point where her mouth is agape and she does not hear the man trying to give her the keys. This shows how involved people were in each other’s personal lives, and how big of an impact seeing something as simple as two people together could have on somebody. This view has changed dramatically over time, as today, 87% of Americans approve of interracial marriage, which is 83% higher than it was in 1958. This dramatic increase in approval represents the shift from a community wide view to a self-centered view, as today, many do not concern themselves with the business of others, so long as it does not affect them directly. In all, the strict expectations for another’s relationships have diminished, so individuals have a greater freedom in terms of

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