The Consequences of Societal Norms

Dominant social groups within society create norms that dictate the standards of socially acceptable behavior. The standards of normalcy that have been established demand the conformity of all members of society. However, this forces an individual that does not fit those standards to be faced with a dilemma: to choose between social acceptance, which ultimately results in the surrender of his identity, or staying true to his unique identity and thereby forfeiting the acceptance of his peers. As Lennard J. Davis demonstrates in “Constructing Normalcy,” people that deviate from social constructs are viewed as “defectives” and are penalized by being alienated. Davis’s ideas are clearly depicted in Gil Junger’s movie 10 Things I Hate About You, where Katerina resists social pressures to conform to the expectations of her peers and is judged harshly for maintaining her strong personality and opinions. 

Davis reveals that the development of societal norms throughout history gave rise to the eugenics movement, which had the aim to “improve humans so that deviations from the norm diminish… to attempt to norm the nonstandard” (Davis 14). The eugenics movement penetrated throughout society as a social outlook, the eugenicist gaze, which attempts to enforce behavioral norms through social pressure. Behavioral norms, as Davis writes, “implies that the majority of the population must or should somehow be part of the norm” (Davis 13).

 Davis’s notion that behavioral norms are enforced by social pressure is evident in the way Kat’s peers, both family and classmates alike, react to her defiance of their fabricated expectations in 10 Things I Hate About You. Kat and Bianca are sisters, but while Bianca is the paradigm of social conformity, Kat refuses to comply with societal norms despite the efforts of her classmate, Joey, and Bianca to conform her. Knowing that Kat would not date, Kat and Bianca’s father made a rule that Bianca is not allowed to date until Kat would. However, Kat’s refusal to date was problematic for Bianca because she wanted to date Joey. This led to Joey, Bianca, and a few others to bribe Patrick to date Kat so that Joey would have permission to date Bianca.

Throughout the movie, Joey and Bianca, along with other classmates, constantly make offensive remarks and isolate Kat. Joey refers to Kat as a “bitter, self-righteous hag who has no friends” (0:1:50-0:1:58) after she shares her opinion on Hemingway, and his friends encouragingly laugh and high five him. Joey’s deep hatred for Kat stems from her refusal to do as he pleases, especially because she refused to sleep with him. Similarly, Bianca also despises that someone of her own social status has such a “loser” sister like Kat. Bianca’s social status, as portrayed by her actions, clothing, and makeup, is threatened when she was unable to date the coolest guy in school. Bianca became frustrated with Kat and yelled, “can’t you just find one blind deaf retard to take you to the movies so I can have one date?” (0:14:03-0:14:08). Bianca negatively singles out groups that differ from societal norms and thereby attempts to ostracize Kat by making her feel bad for being different. Bianca also tries to change her sister to be “normal” by urging her to act and dress differently. The people in Kat’s life and their attempts to force her to conform to their expectations of normalcy reflect Davis’s idea that people want to change those that do not fit into the normal construct.

  Furthermore, Davis emphasizes that literature only presents plot and characters that coincide with normal social practices, and that nonconformers are rarely present centrally in novels. Davis maintains the view, “the plot and character development of novels tend to pull toward the normative” (Davis 21). Davis describes how novels containing lower-class characters as protagonists eventually inherit characteristics of the nobility, such as respectability and moral rectitude by the end of the novel (Davis 22). Characters of low-class are non-conformists because they do not fit the ideal of maintaining high position and wealth, and are only considered as part of society after they acquire attributes of affluence. The prevalent theme of normality in literature further enforces societal norms.  

 Davis’s argument of plot tending to pull characters toward normalcy is fundamentally integrated with the movie. Davis writes, “the novel as a form promotes and symbolically produces normative structures” (Davis 21). Even though Kat is a non-conformist, the plot of the movie attempts to mold her into the helpless role of a damsel in distress that needs a knight in shining armor to save her. Patrick saves Kat by merely showing interest in her, which suddenly transforms her into a “nicer” person who behaves in a more socially acceptable manner. As Kat uncharacteristically danced on the table at Bogey’s party, Joey asked Patrick, “how did you get her to act like a human?” (0:54:38-0:54:45). Joey was impressed that Patrick was able to persuade Kat to do “normal” things that teenagers their age did, like partying, dancing on tables, and hooking up. Additionally, the relationship that Kat had with Bianca and her father mended after she developed feelings for Patrick. Her father finally supported her decision to attend Sarah Lawrence College, and Bianca valued Kat’s opinion and listened to her advice to stay away from Joey. Toward the end of the movie, after Kat found out that Patrick had been going out with her in exchange for money, she forgave him the next day because he got her a guitar. At the beginning of the movie, Kat would not have accepted that as an apology, but because of the normative plot and normalization of the protagonist, she accepted the guitar like the obedient character she was expected to be.

In “Constructing Normalcy,” Davis maintains that people who do not conform to social norms are perceived as deviants and are ostracized, which is depicted in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. Davis traces the notion of normalcy and reveals its connection to eugenics, which represents the goal to conform people that differ from societal norms. This relates to Kat’s peers’ unwavering attempts to conform her to what teenagers in her year do, and become frustrated when she defies those attempts. Davis also points out the pattern throughout literature that depicts the plot and characters to adhere to normative standards. Davis’s idea that literature molds the protagonist to fit normative standards is depicted in the plot of 10 Things I Hate About You because the storyline ultimately ends with molding Kat to fit societal norms. Instead of urging people to adhere to social norms, they should be encouraged to express themselves the way they see fit. The right to freedom of expression should not be compromised by either social pressures or societal norms.

 

October 28, 2019

 

Works cited

“Constructing Normalcy.” The Disability Studies Reader, by Lennard J. Davis, Routledge, 2013.

Junger, Gil, director. 10 Things I Hate about You.