Donna, for a discussion of sex, gender, film noir etc. in the case of _Mildred Pierce_, I suggest you try Krutnik, Frank. In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity. Routledge, 1991. It's well-indexed, so you'll have no trouble finding relevant passages (esp. 61-3), but I think you may find it useful as q well for its discussions of women in other *films noirs*. I know I've got lots of other articles on this one. There's one called "Bitch Goddesses" that appeared in an issue of Film Comment dedicated to film noir in 1974, I think... I'll see if I can find 'em. Good luck, and perhaps you can post your findings? ______________________________________ | Rick Francis C47805NF@WUVMD | Tout pour moi devient all'egorie. | Dep't of Comparative Literature, | (Everything, for me, becomes | Box 1107 | allegory.) | Washington University | | St. Louis, MO 63130 | Baudelaire, 'Le Cygne' ______________________________________