We all have our own sob stories, and Marty's version is all about rejection, loneliness, and lowered expectations. (Frowny face.)
He's dealt with the twin blows of losing his father and getting some pretty hefty PTSD after serving in WWII, and, as a result, he doesn't ask or expect too much of himself. He's setting in for a long, lonely, unexceptional life.
The rest of the characters deal with similar issues, whether it has to do with rigid gender roles or family duties. How will these characters every push past their ordinary lives into existences that will fill them with joy?
Questions about Dissatisfaction
- We know that Marty isn't exactly content with a lot of his life. But what are the parts that he seems more or less satisfied with? Where is he #blessed?
- Marty may be thirsting for a companion, but he's not blind: No one around him seems all that happy with their romantic status. So what does he think he can have that others can't?
- At the beginning of the movie, what's the difference between Angie's and Marty's expectations about romance, dating, etc.? How do they change over time?
- All the good guys in this movie get rejected more often than not. What does that tell us about the values of the society the movie depicts?
Chew on This
Marty's history of rejection paves the way for a stronger, healthier concept of love.
Aunt Catherine's bitterness shows that even if you get everything you want—the husband, the family—nothing in life is permanent, and you can end up even sadder than before.