Female (1933) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds across several key locations that reflect different aspects of Alison Drake's world. Her opulent mansion represents her private domain of power, the automobile factory symbolizes her professional empire, an amusement park serves as the backdrop for their developing romance, and New York City appears when financial pressures force her to deal with bankers and high-stakes business decisions.

• settings
• mansion
• factory
• amusement park
• new york city

Female is set in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. This era of economic hardship provides the backdrop for Alison Drake's business challenges, as banks tighten their grip and takeover threats loom over her company. The historical context adds urgency to the financial pressures that drive both the plot and the characters' decisions.

• 1930s
• great depression
• era
• time period

The film explores how Alison Drake defies the expectations of her era by leading a major automobile company in a male-dominated industry. She uses social influence as a strategic tool, treating romance as a convenience while struggling to find a partner she cannot dominate. The story examines the tension between professional ambition and personal vulnerability, showing relationships as arenas where affection and power must negotiate with each other.

• gender roles
• feminism
• woman in business
• independence
• power dynamics

Alison Drake wields unprecedented control in her automobile company, shaping hiring, strategy, and even romantic entanglements to serve the business. The film probes how power is exercised in both boardrooms and private spaces, questioning whether a woman can sustain independence while meeting the demands of leadership. Her control extends to using relationships as strategic tools.

• corporate power
• business leadership
• control
• authority
• boardroom

Financing challenges and the threat of a corporate takeover loom over Alison's company throughout the film. Banks and investors set the pace of the narrative, while economic uncertainty drives the plot forward. This financial crisis tests the resilience of both the business and the developing romance between Alison and Jim Thorne, forcing difficult calculations and urgent alliances.

• financial pressure
• takeover
• banks
• investors
• economic crisis

Alison Drake is the wealthy, no-nonsense founder and head of a large automobile company. She is fiercely independent and calculating, skilled at leveraging social power to steer her business. Though she treats romance as a convenience, her arc centers on balancing personal longing with professional leadership, ultimately seeking a partner she cannot dominate.

• alison drake
• protagonist
• businesswoman
• executive
• lead character

Jim Thorne is a brilliant design engineer hired to improve Alison's automobile company. He is proud and principled, resenting being treated as a tool of her ambition. Despite this, he cannot ignore the undeniable attraction between them. His pride leads him to quit rather than submit, and his relationship with Alison evolves into a complicated romance.

• jim thorne
• engineer
• love interest
• protagonist
• romantic lead

Pettigrew is Alison Drake's cunning assistant who dispenses pragmatic advice about men and social dynamics. He serves as a psychological guide, helping her navigate the power interplay of wealth and romance. His character provides insight into the tactics behind Alison's approach to both business and personal relationships.

• pettigrew
• assistant
• advisor
• supporting character

The film has a predominantly light tone, characterized by playful banter, carefree amusement park scenes, and a glamorous high-society backdrop. Despite touching on serious themes like power struggles and business pressures, these are presented as challenges within a witty, romantic framework. The ending is happy, resolving the central conflict with a marriage proposal and a combined personal and professional future.

• tone
• comedy
• romance
• style
• mood

The automobile factory represents Alison Drake's domain of power and competence. It is the setting where she exercises authority in a male-dominated industry, demonstrating her exceptional business acumen. The factory also serves as the meeting place for Alison and Jim Thorne, where their professional rivalry and romantic tension first ignite.

• automobile factory
• setting
• business
• power
• industrial