University History 1113: Analysis of Mistress Madeiline Essay

This essay provides an analysis of the film "Mistress Madeiline," focusing on the lives of individuals at an HBC trading post in Rupertsland during the 1850s. The essay addresses the advantages and disadvantages faced by HBC officers, Métis "country wives," and Métis traders, using examples from the film to support the arguments. The analysis also explores the complexities of the relationships between these groups and the challenges they encountered. The essay then delves into the author's personal choice of which character they would choose to be, providing a rationale based on the character's actions and motivations within the context of the film. The analysis uses examples of the film to support the arguments and provides an in-depth understanding of the historical context of the movie.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF MISTRESS MADEILINE
Analysis of Mistress Madeiline
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF MISTRESS MADEILINE
Mistress Madeiline was a film released in the year 1986. The film tells the story of the
Metis people of Manitoba and how the protagonist of the movie, A red headed girl named
Madeiline who is involved with the manager of the Hudson Bay Company, who must make a
tough decision in his life – either lose the woman that he loves or lose the job because of his
love for a Metis woman. The film is considered to be second part of the “ Daughters of the
Country” series movies. The movie, in the recent times has become a standard view for
native history classes in Canada.
The purpose of this essay is to make an analysis of the movie Mistress Madeiline
foe the readers.
Part -1
As stated by Mckenzie (2016), in the movie, Mistress Madeiline (1986), it is seen that
there is a kind of problem between the Metis people who lived in the Hudson County Bay
area and that of the white skinned people who were the owners of the land. It is movie being
shown in the movie that the people of the Hudson County Bay are becoming more and more
frustrated with the White skinned people who were imposing a monopoly on the fur trade and
they were trading with the Americans. Officer Charles is one of the most important characters
the movie has to offer. In the movie, it is being shown that he has to face a difficult situation
himself. He loves Madeiline which meant that either he had to lose the woman that he loved
for the sake of the job or to lose the job for the woman he loved. This puts the character in a
difficult position as he had to ultimately make a tough choice in the movie by leaving for
England and returning with an English wife. Similarly, the main character of the movie
Madeiline faces a lot of criticisms due to her in a relationship with the company officer
Charles. When she comes to know that Charles had married in England, she returns to her
people and promises to fight against the Company on behalf of the Metis people.

2ANALYSIS OF MISTRESS MADEILINE
Similar is the case with Madeleine’s brother. Joseph. Joseph is a free trader who
refuses to obey the rules on taxes laid down by the Company. As a result, he is about to be
arrested by the Company officials but is saved by Madeiline and joins the war against the
company itself. Thus, these are the ways by which the different characters in the movie.
Mistress Madeiline (1986) suffer from various advantages and disadvantages in the movie
itself (Rutherdale, 2014).
Part -2
If I had to pick a character in the movie for myself, it would without a doubt be
Madeiline herself. The reason for this is that Madeiline, in spite of being a woman never
backs down to the criticisms that she faces for loving a white man from England. However,
when she comes to know that Charles had married in England, she does not hesitate to return
to her people and join the war against the Company. This is prove that Madeiline herself is a
strong woman who never is afraid to make decisions that might earn her criticisms. She is
also proud of her culture, which, makes her return to her own people and start a war against
the Company itself. It is for the courage that she displays in the movie itself that forms the
reason why I feel the character should be chosen for myself among other characters in the
movie itself.
Mistress Madeiline (1986) is indeed one of the best movies to be produced about the
native people of America and the difficulties that they face in their lives daily. The movie
truly captures the courage of native American women as they never hesitate to declare war
against the company for their unjust rules.

3ANALYSIS OF MISTRESS MADEILINE
Reference List
MacKenzie, Sarah. "White Settler Colonialism and (Re) presentations of Gendered Violence
in Indigenous Women’s Theatre." PhD diss., Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa, 2016.
Rutherdale, Myra, and Katie Pickles, eds. Contact zones: Aboriginal and settler women in
Canada's colonial past. UBC Press, 2014.