How Easy Rider addresses major issues of American society in the late 1960’s

Introduction

Easy Rider is an American movie of 1969 transcribed by Peter Fonda, Dennis and Terry Southern. The road movie was directed by Hopper and produced by Fonder. The movie explores the societal landscape, tensions and the issues of United States in the late 1960’s. Some of this tensions included the communal lifestyle, rise and fall of hippie movement and drug use which are all issues concerning the society. This easy will focus on how the film addresses some of this major American Society issues in the late 1960’s.

            The sixties were years associated with counterculture and revolution in social standards in terms of dressing, schooling formalities, drugs, clothing and sexuality. The relaxation of social taboos relating to racism and sexism labeled as the swinging sixties occurred during this time of the sixties. The butterfingered American protagonist in the Vietnam War irritated student demonstrators around the world. The anti-Vietnam war movement was one of the great definitions of politics of violence in the United States.

            Feminism was one of the major issues in America in the 1960’s the movie explores how women in America rejected the prevailing assumption that the sole burden of supporting a family including the wife was the role of a man. The assumption that a woman was entitled to a man’s support upon marriage and that home and family were the women’s world and responsibility was highly rejected. Women wanted to share responsibilities equally with their husbands which they considered as true partnership between sexes. In the interest of their dignity women decided to protest and endeavor to change their false image that was prevalent in the face of the media.

Civil rights movement was another key component of the superior counterculture movement addressed in the movie. It involved nonviolent demonstrations to ensure that equal rights guaranteed in the constitution apply to all citizens. Most of this rights were denied to African-Americans but were successfully addressed after several non-violent demonstrations. For freedom of speech the movement originated from the campus students who were later joined by other young rebellious people contributing to the free speech movement.

Drugs was also another issue of counterculture in the American society in the late 1960’s.There are two freewheeling men (Wyatt) Fonda nicknamed as “Captain America” and Hopper (Billy) who are set out for cocaine smuggling from Mexico to Los Angeles. The two sell their haul to a man in a Rolls-Royce named Mac Mashourian and in return receive a large sum of money. They carry the money as it was, sated in a plastic tube and use it to purchase high-handled motorcycles. They also use the money to fund their trip eastwards towards New Orleans, Louisiana for a festival. The movie shows how this smuggling goes with these young long-haired men and how they themselves use the drugs.

            The Vietnam War and the extended national division between cohorts and rivals of the warfare, were debatably the most vital factors underwriting to the increase of the greater counterculture measure. The movie shows how opposition to the war set off on the College campus of the United States which grew to include other demographic groups with exemption of upper and middle classes resulting to the suggestion of uneven number of working-class and lesser registrants. Ample of the counterculture composition stimulated an essence of anti-establishmentarianism and non-conformism. The war was opposed by most people in the country after a big trek to the United States in the New York City and a great objection at the Pentagon were commenced.

Conclusion

            This movie was certainly one most successful productions with a low budget. The movie shows the culture of the American people was affected both politically and socially. It shows the great tale that surrounds the search for freedom in the United States and clearly reflect of the popular and historical culture of the time. Easy rider was a formalized involvement and a movie that was often watched by the young generation of late 1960’s.

 

References

Hayles, R., & Birnie, L. (2014). Easy rider: My life on a bike.

Scanlan, J. (2015). Easy riders, rolling stones: On the road in America, from Delta blues to '70s                                     rock.