hrough the civil rights era
             Many women throughout the cold war era, through the civil rights movement,
             and even throughout what might be defined as contemporary times have
             struggled to establish themselves as equal in the workplace to their male
             counterparts, and adept at caring for their families while at home.
             Mildred Pierce is an example of such a woman. Mildred is able to find
             success in the restaurant industry, where she opens up a chain of
             restaurants and flourishes in busy. She subsequently finds a new sense of
             self and confidence, and begins living life for herself. The time frame
             that this movie is set is around the 1940s, where many women were
             struggling to realize business success and freedom. The woman in the movie
             is also in her mid 40s and thus speaks to women in an advancing age group,
             a popular theme. The point of the drama is that a woman can become
             independent and successful, but are still expected to perform the role of
             mother and caretaker in a competent manner, or face challenge and societal
             Women's roles have transformed radically over the course of the last
             century; the nature and character of family work and society has evolved in
             such a manner that promotes the success of women in the business world
             (Moen, 1992). Mildred Pierce represented a woman beyond her era, one that
             attempted to engage in employment and child rearing simultaneously, albeit
             because of forced conditions. Traditional families during the 1940s
             consisted of fathers who represented the breadwinner and mothers who
             remained home, and whose primary role was that as caretaker (Moen, 1992).
             Women were certainly not banned from the workplace, but they were not
             encouraged to partake in it. When they did, they certainly were not
             afforded prize or executive positions within any organization, but were
             rather delegated to the role of secretary or assistant.
             Traditionally women have accepted and ...