Albert Nobbs: A Look into Gender in Irish Society

            The much-nominated film Albert Nobbs explores gender in the early 1900s, with attempts to break gender stereotypes leading to a prison of a new sort. Starring Glenn Close as the eponymous butler at a posh Dublin hotel, the titular character is a biological female who dresses as a man with the eventual hope of gaining financial freedom and owning a shop. Having played this role for a few decades, Nobbs is the perfect butler, attuned to the desires of the patrons without revealing any of his/her own sentiments. Albert has dreams of owning his own shop, with a lady working at the counter, but Irish social restrictions dictate that the woman working can only be his wife. Thus, Albert sees himself forced to marry a woman in order to fulfill his dream.

            The eponymous character of this film attempts to break certain walls of society; however, she unintentionally creates a new prison for herself as she is forced to maintain the role of a man. Albert cannot even fulfill his dreams without upholding the norms of Irish society, especially the fact that the woman who works for him must be his wife. This film is a great example of gender stereotypes, particularly how women are dependent upon men and the emphasis placed upon marriage, concepts that link to the readings we were assigned this past week. Aside from marriage, the female Nobbs would be unable to achieve financial liberation; thus, she feels forced to take the persona of a man in order to survive on her own.