Netflix's new miniseries is Unorthodox : based on Deborah Fieldeman's autobiography, it tells the story of Ester, nicknamed Esty, who searches for her identity by fleeing the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in New York . Young Esty is tired of living in a reality that doesn't allow her to express herself, as she is not only dissatisfied with her arranged marriage , but also with the climate within a community that refuses to embrace modernity. The rigid rules imposed within it stipulate that a woman's sole purpose is to procreate and be a good mother and wife . They are allowed to study until the age of 17 and are forbidden from cultivating hobbies, as they are a source of distraction. Esty , carefree, secretly pursues her passion for music, but is forced to stop to prove her devotion to her husband. One day, she decides to escape to Berlin , driven by the need to discover her own identity and fulfill herself.
There is an object that clearly shows us Esty's intent: the compass given to her by the woman who allowed her to escape seems to symbolize the act of orienting herself not only in the new city but also in finding her place in the world. Meanwhile, Yanki , her husband, and his cousin set out in search of the girl , supported also by the rabbi, who wishes to preserve the integrity of his community without anyone getting lost. As soon as she arrives in the city, she meets a group of young people who play at the conservatory: she is so fascinated and moved that, riding the wave of these emotions, she will return to pursue her passion for music , too great and powerful to be overwhelmed and buried under the dogmas imposed by her community.
As Esty explores Berlin, flashbacks reveal the birth of her arranged marriage, during which, upon introducing herself to her husband Yanki, she immediately defines herself as a girl unlike any other. Upon learning her story, her new friends assume she's escaped from a veritable prison, but she doesn't feel the same way. She sees her escape as an attempt to find herself and her own path, far from the oppressive and suffocating fate someone else had chosen for her, back in the community.
Patriarchal apparatuses of domination
The highly reflective series embraces the condition of women, showing us the strength of a girl who had the courage to abandon the bubble under which she was born and raised to discover a new life. Of significant importance is Dorothy E. Smith 's feminist standpoint theory . The sociologist focuses not only on women but also on other minorities, such as the poor, ethnic, religious, and homosexual minorities. Hers is a sociology from a female standpoint for women, one that can give them a voice, since they are suppressed by the dominant structures of patriarchy, in which they have no say and are even denied the right to express their own opinion. In standpoint theory, the " apparatus of domination " is a central theme, as it is precisely thanks to them that all minorities are prevented from expressing themselves as they see fit, being prisoners of the dominant structures within society or the community in which they live. In this case, Esty is oppressed by the male-centric community, where she's not allowed to express her own perspective and emotions. In short, she's just a machine that can produce children and accept the rules because she has to, not because she wants to.
Conflict between community and society
In Unorthodox, there is no synergistic relationship between society and the community , as the latter has decided to reject any form of external modernity, such as the use of technology, behaving as a closed system. Tonnies studied the differences between two very different types of communities: the primitive community, in which personal and informal relationships predominated, particularly those characterized by close kinship , and the modern industrial society, in which the predominant type of relationship was impersonal and formal. In the series, we note how the community, although immersed in the Big Apple, does not intend to be part of the reality of the metropolis: its members, in fact, all know each other and there is a strong kinship bond that binds them. In explaining the substantial differences between the two types of society, Parsons develops the Structural Variables Model , which can be useful in understanding Esty's reasoning in abandoning the community. The author developed five of them, expressed with their respective dichotomies: ascription/acquisition, diffusion/specificity, affectivity/affective neutrality, particularism/universalism, collectivity/individual.
The dichotomies suitable for the analysis of the film in my opinion are:
diffusion/specificity: these concern the expectations that an individual has towards another based on the type of relationship that binds them. For example, in the Jewish community, an intimate relationship exists between all members, so much so that they were aware of the sexual issue that binds Esty to her husband, as if marital issues concerned the entire community and not the intimacy of the couple. Parson calls this type of “widespread” relationshipIn modern society, however, relationships are quite the opposite, defined as specific, meaning they develop within certain boundaries, such as the formal relationship between teacher and student or doctor and patient. Esty, starting to live in Berlin, can keep some things to herself and decide what to share with her friends, something impossible and unthinkable within the community.
community/individual: it's about satisfying one's own interests or those of the community. Esty, whether she likes it or not, will have to get married, shave her head after the wedding, be a good wife, and have as many children as possible to fulfill the interests of her religion. In Berlin, however, she will be able to act according to her own needs and desires without being accountable to anyone, discovering who she really is and seeking to fulfill herself as she sees fit.
Religion and modernity
Durkheim He has a similar thought to that of Tonnies, in fact he finds analogies between: mechanical society and primitive communities, as in both there is a strong collective consciousness, and organic society with modern societies, in which collective consciousness is lacking due to individualism. According to Durkheim, societies, with the succession of developments and changes, have always had to deal with religion, has always existed. In fact, he maintains that "it is a permanent and essential aspect of humanity" and it is society that generates it. Through a certain rituals, believers periodically affirm their faith. In the series, in addition to moments of prayer, we find a certain ritual in the act of procreation: the physical relationship between husband and wife is considered sacred and public displays of affection are not permitted as their purpose is to create a family, describing the man as the donor (he who gives) and the woman as the recipient (she who receives) and explaining the importance of having children, that is, giving new life to the six million Jews exterminated in the camps. Although the series is set in the present day, I found it interesting to note how within a modern metropolis there is a society that rejects modernity, approaching in some elements the primitive community or mechanical society.
In his work "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life," he explains how religion has a social origin and the function of representing the collective conscience , defining it as "a solidary system of beliefs and practices relating to sacred things—that is, things separate and forbidden—which unite all those who adhere to them into a single moral community, called the Church." Religion in primitive tribes has a great power of integration, transmitting common ideals and values to its members. He also argues that religion is a social fact, that is, "a set of beliefs and behavior patterns established by the community," and thus highlights its function as a " social glue ."
According to Durkheim, the flight from community in search of identity is the "cult of the individual." That is, as Esty's self-confidence grows, so too does the need to distance herself and detach herself from the group control imposed by the community. By the secularization of religion, he means that in today's societies, religion receives less attention, losing the social significance it once had. In short, "it is the loss of the power and authority that religion once enjoyed in all fields of human activity." This occurs because scientific discoveries have answered numerous questions that were once sought through religion.
In conclusion, the Religions are shared by many people and this is why they are considered by Durkheim as collective phenomena, and it is thanks to the common foundation of values and beliefs they offer that the community can solidify. Therefore, Esty's difficulty getting pregnant is not a problem for the couple, but for the entire community, so much so that she constantly receives unsolicited advice and suggestions. She begins to distance herself from the community's ideals and values when she feels considered "defective, broken" and when she is forced to give up music. She therefore understands that one can be a woman without having children and being unmarried, fleeing the community and discovering the various nuances of life. It would be interesting to see more TV series which represent different Religions, and based on the religions represented, discover a different point of view. This time we got it thanks to a 19-year-old girl. What will the next series be?
Born in 95, I'm a sociologist and a student in Media, Digital Communication, and Journalism at Sapienza University. Passionate about criminology, social psychology, and sociology, my guiding spirit is Goffman. I love punk rock music, psychological horror films, and I'd hike anywhere.
