BIG LOVE

In the HBO series Big Love (http://www.hbo.com/big-love/index.html), Bill Henrickson is portrayed as the major character around which the plot revolves. Bill, is a middle class male fundamental Mormon who practices polygamy. He has three wives, Barbara, Nicki and Margene who play vital roles in the plot as well. Along with his wives, Bill also has children by each of the wives and the entire family live next door to each other in Utah. The family is not public polygamists and do not reveal their lifestyle to many people.

As a male character, Bill embodies the role of patriarch in his family. He is the head of the household and the director of all things. Bill can be viewed, according to Deborah David and Robert Brannon as a combination of “The Big Wheel and The Sturdy Oak” (12). These two themes reflect toughness, self reliance and confidence that men are expected to possess (12).

In his household, Bill is the main bread winner, and any decisions being made about the wives and children must be sanctioned by him. If the women choose to make independent decisions, without the consent of Bill, their loyalty and commitment to the family is questioned. Bill’s loyalty to his family is never questioned. He is also viewed as a loving husband, who allows his wives to participate in business and financial endeavors, once those endeavors benefit the family and does not take away from time spent with the family. Mr. Henrickson would reject the theme of “Give ‘Em Hell” (12), as he is not portrayed as an aggressive or violent person.

In this season of Big Love, Bill ran for political office and was committed to winning. This role reflects the competitiveness and quest for fame (19) that males are expected to have as well as the types of public and professional roles they should pursue. When Bill won office, he chose to reveal to the public his practice of polygamy despite the fact that his wives were not comfortable about that decision. Margene, Bill’s third wife, was very fearful that it would affect her jewelry business, but Bill felt that this was the right decision for the family. He felt that as a man he had the right to make all final decisions for his family, especially when they benefited his goals.

The character did not encounter direct problems as a result of enacting the male role but those actions caused problems for his wives. Barbara was very uncomfortable with Bill’s decision to reveal their secret and this led to her questioning their marriage and role in the marriage. She even considered ending their marriage but this did not sway Bill’s decision. I believe that the writer’s of the script chose not to have Bill directly affected by his male roles, because they are trying to portray a kind of ideal role of a strong and good male who practices polygamy.

            In one aspect Bill “acts like a man” by having more than one wife, which can be interpreted in a non-polygamous society as a man who chooses to have relationships with women outside of his main relationship or marriage. In another aspect Bill failed to “act like a man” when he got another woman pregnant. This woman was a prospective wife, but the two never got married. In our society, this dynamic holds to be true. A man is being “a man” when he has multiple women, but if he gets one, that is not his wife, pregnant then his actions are viewed negatively.

In the show, Bill felt guilty about having an extramarital affair but did not dwell on that aspect for very long. He told his wives that he is human and made a weak mistake. This part of the show was very interesting, as it reveals that as a man in our society, it is okay to express making a mistake but it should be viewed as something to get past, rather quickly. It also suggests that men are allowed to have moments of weakness as it pertains to intimacy. Bill is not chastised for his actions; rather the three wives tried to embrace the other woman and sought out a friendship with her in order to see the baby. In this instance their polygamist practice, which is controlled by the man, hinders the women from punishing Bill, but they do not reward him either.

            The story uses polygamy and religion as the main reason for why men behave differently from women. In one scene, Margene wanted to marry an immigrant man in order to help him obtain citizenship and Bill opposed it. He claimed that he did not have a double standard, but rather “The Heavenly father”, another male type figure, was in control of what roles men and women have in polygamist marriages. He stated that as a man, he is allowed to have multiple wives, but a woman is not allowed that option. His reason for this was simple; it was just the way things were. Later in that episode Bill allows Margene to marry the immigrant man, because it would help his campaigning process and take him out of the radar. We can see that Bill bent the rules of his practice and religion to suit his needs and benefits and the choice was left up to him rather than his wife.

During the recent years, the male role has changed and men are no longer viewed as predominant patriarchs who are unaccommodating of women. Bill reflects part of these changes by allowing his wives to have some kind of independence and autonomy. Twenty 20 years ago this was not fully portrayed in films/TV. However, due to the complexity of the plot and the aspect of polygamy, Bill can still be compared to men and male roles that were present in past TV shows/ films, in that he is the strong, independent, career oriented provider whose emotions are seldom worn on his sleeve.