What do we learn about our larger culture from this artifact? What do we learn about life in modern society? What do we learn about race in our culture? What do we learn about sex and gender in our culture? Analyze the most important signifiers.

Larger Culture
The Big Lebowski follows the misadventures of an aging 60s hippie and a military veteran. A closer look into the film reveals something more, a commentary on the current state of Western culture or our larger culture. The film explores friendships, masculinity, and responsibility. The movie centers on the life of Jeffery Lebowski, known as “the Dude.” Today, “dude” is used to indicate someone as a “guy,” or “man,” as in “generic male person.” The larger culture we thrive in questions what it means to be considered a “man” and what makes a “man.”
As a larger culture, we are interested in drugs or the “stoner” stereotype, which sparks our curiosity of the unknown. Friendship and the value of friendship is an important aspect for the larger culture we live in. In The Big Lebowski, the value of friendship between the Dude and Walter is prominent throughout the film which proclaims the

Modern Society
The Dude is the original hipster. Not because of the way he dressed, with the beanie or non-prescription glasses, but because he did not fit into the modern day schema for males. He is stereotyped by slacker values and not being wealthy. In today’s modern society we are often caught up on one’s self-image, yet the Dude shows us to be comfortable in our own skin and live life the way we feel is the best fit. In modern society, people are influenced to follow by a capitalistic society. In the case of The Dude, his constant consumption of White Russians is symbolic towards the idea that the drink is a symbol towards his liberal lifestyle and refusal to adjust to the capitalistic society we are engulfed by.
Money is power and the rapid development of technology has a large impact on our lives. The Dude is unemployed, and not looking for work anytime soon, but he also does not use any type of technology. This relates to modern society in the sense that we are all addicted to technology, whether it be cell phones or Internet usage. Considering for example, the Dude and his friends manually keep score during each occasion in which they go bowling throughout the film. Instead of using technology, the Dude finds joy in the little things in life such as listening to whale noises and bowling with his friends. The Dude has a point in relation to modern society being obsessed with technology. Too often in today’s culture for example university life, students lose track of what is important and forget to have fun along the way.
Race:
The Dude is constantly drinking White Russians, also known as Caucasians. All of the main characters are American, the cops are racially mixed
Sex and Gender
Throughout history, masculinity has been defined through men who are just not strong physically, but mentally as well. Men have been expected to settle down, have a family and provide for their family with a hard working profession. Women are expected to live up to traditional expectations also, they are expected to get married, have children, and devote their time to raising the children along with cooking, cleaning, etc. In the Big Lebowski, gender roles cannot be assumed. Throughout this film, Maude holds power over The Dude. A signifier of this is when the Dude meets Maude in her home for the first time, and when Maude tricks the Dude into having sex with her so she can conceive a child she is exerting her will over him. Maude holds a dominant form of feminism throughout the film, because of the Dude’s lack of masculinity, Maude easily controls him. Both The Dude and Maude defy the standards that are traditional to men and women. Considering for example, the scene in which the Dude meets Maude for the first time and she comes swinging in on ropes, swining her arms with paintbrushes in her hand as she splashes paint onto the canvas.