Question for Tessa, Meg, Kate and the other women on this forum...

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Posted by ROB T. from 162.10.138.28 on July 08, 1999 at 23:01:03:

I've seen "Raiders" three times this week since it's playing at a local theatre and I have a question I'd like to pose about Indy and his treatment of women. I asked about this a couple of months ago but I only got opinions from the guys and I'd like to get the female perspective.
My opinion is that Indy does not treat Marion very well and here are the examples I've come up with.
First is the fact that Indy had an affair with Marion when he was 25 and she was only 15. This was what caused the falling out Indy had with Marion's father. Maybe attitudes would have been different in Indy's day but to me this seems wrong. A 15 year old girl should be considered off limits to a 25 year old man.
Then when Indy sees Marion in Nepal he seems very callous in his attitude concerning how he broke her heart ten years earlier.
Marion, "I was a child. I was in love. It was wrong and you knew it."
Indy, "You knew what you were doing."
Then he lies to her about the value of the headpiece to the staff of Ra. "It's a worthless bronze medallion, Marion, are you gonna give it to me?"
Later in Cairo Marion makes a serious remark about how much her father loved Indy and he insults her.
Marion, "He loved you like a son, you know, it took a helluva lot for you to alienate him."
Indy, "Not much, just you."
After the truck explodes, Indy makes no attempt to pull Marion out of it or even to see if she was inside. If someone I cared about were in a vehicle that I just caused to explode, I would damn well try my best to get them out. After all, she was inside the basket and it would have taken a few minutes for her to burn to death so he could have saved her if he'd tried. That point may be moot since she wasn't actually inside the truck.
Worst of all is when he comes across Marion inside the tent in the desert. His leaving her tied up and in the hands of the Nazis is nothing less than selfish. He chooses to save his own hide and continue looking for the Ark instead of saving Marion. He could have rescued her and tried for the Ark later. Let the Nazis dig up the Well of Souls and just steal the Ark from them later.
Indy had no way of knowing that Marion would be safe when he left her. After all, we don't know what kind of torture she might have received at Toht's hand during the long night. Apparently, he just asked her questions but he might just as easily have burned her face like he tried to do in Nepal. Indy knew what Toht was capable of and yet he still left her there.

Well, that's the end of my rant. Understand I love Indy as an adventurer and a movie hero but I don't think I'd want my mother or my sisters or my daughter to date him.
So, do you think I'm totally off with this or do I have a valid point?
Is this something that's bothered any of you as women?
I'd really like to hear your point of view on this issue. Please include your age so I can get a better perspective of where you're coming from.

Thanks.

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