Symbols and Tropes
Food
Hey, what's warm and makes your feel nourished all over? No, we're not talking about wholesome food. We're talking about the uber-adorable Marty.But food plays a huge role in this feel-good classic...
Stories About People Who Died
"Lots of people die, die," as the old rock song goes. (The song was wrong; everybody dies.)And the older characters in Marty are obsessed with this fact—so much so, in fact, that they can't seem...
Light and Dark
Day and NightDuring the day, the older generation rules the roost, while Teresa and Catherine attend to their duties and the men are all out at work. But come nighttime, things get a little transgr...
The War/Veterans
War? What War?Even though World War II is less than a decade behind Marty'smodern day, it's only mentioned twice: First, when Clara's blind date says that he'll introduce Marty as his "army buddy,"...