Between Clara, Virginia, Teresa, and Catherine, Marty has the market cornered on just about every everyday woe a mid-20th century "broad" could face living out a more or less okay life.
Whether it's qualities of beauty, domesticity, romance, outside expectations, or work, these ladies have it hard. While Clara is judged for her education and choice to work outside the home, Virginia can never seem to caretake well enough for her husband or mother-in-law's standards. Meanwhile, both Teresa and Catherine have hit the most fallow patch of 1950s womanhood: a world without anyone to take care of at all.
Questions about Women and Femininity
- In Marty, women seem more centered on marriage and men seem more interested in work and fun. What are the exceptions for each?
- Do you feel more badly for Catherine or Virginia? Why do you have more feels for one mother over the other?
- Beyond mothers, how are young, unattached women portrayed?
- Which mother in the movie is most like yours?
Chew on This
The mothers in Marty are the most sympathetic characters, because even though they put everything into their families, they don't seem to get much out of it.
By choosing work over family, Clara is upturning the accepted system of female values.