Taylor+Valentine

=The Freedom to Love and the Right to be Happy: Comparing "Taming of the Shrew" and "Waitress" =

====A comparison of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" and the 2007 movie "Waitress" shows that the expectations for women and their ideas about marriage have drastically changed over the last few centuries. In "Shrew," Katherine is forced to marry Petruchio, despite her disdain of him and the idea of marriage. In "Waitress," Jenna finds herself in a similar situation, unhappily married to a man and convinced that real love does not exist. ====

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 While both Katherine and Jenna are initially opposed to love, marriage and motherhood, their ideas slowly change. Katherine learns to adjust because she has no other choice; she must settle for Petruchio. Jenna, on the other hand, is able to eventually leave Earl and find true happiness. Theses stories show that **women now have more freedom in relationships. It is not a requirement for them to get (or stay) married and they are, therefore, able to satisfy their own ideas about marriage and relationships instead of simply their husband's.** ======

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Despite her clear disapproval of Petruchio, Katherine arrives at her wedding, only to find that her fiance is late. This reignites her anger, as she claims she is being forced to marry an evil man she does not love. Since divorce is rare in this time period, once she marries Petruchio, she is stuck with him. The forced marriage places her in a situation very similar to Jenna's. ======

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 From the beginning of "Waitress," the audience is aware of Jenna's animosity towards Earl. When he picks her up from her job as a diner waitress, he demands she gives him her earnings. Because the amount is not up to his standards, he remarks,"Well, you’ve been having more and more of those. I’m not really sure it’s worth you working there, anymore. I think Id rather have you at home making me pies all day long.” Jenna is unhappy with such a controlling man, but she sees no way out. Without money or someone to run to, she is stuck in the marriage. ======

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 __"Shrew" -Quote #2 __ ======

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 * __ Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. __ **======

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 Before even meeting Petruchio, it is clear that Katherine is against marriage. When her father attempts to find a suitor for her, the suitors tease Katherine by telling her that no one would ever want to marry such a shrew. She responds with this quote, saying that marriage would not suit her. She is not the typical woman, who expects and hopes to get married; she does not know how to, nor does she want to be a wife. ======

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 Jenna soon finds out she is pregnant with Earl's child. Unlike the average woman's excitement, Jenna's reacts to the news with anger. She thinks the baby will force she to stay with Earl, and is convinced that she does not know how to be a mother. Towards the middle of her pregnancy, Jenna dictates a letter to her baby, “All my life, baby, all I ever want to do is run away. What kind of mother is that? I wish I could feel other things, baby, like excitement that you’re with me now or faith that I’ll be a good mama, even if my life ain’t such a good place and the world that I see ain’t so pretty." The baby makes her situation even more confining and her inability to deal with motherhood and being a wife further connects her to Katherine. ======

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** “And when she is forward, peevish, sullen, sour ** ======

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** And not obedient to his honest will, ** ======

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<span style="color: #6b00ff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="color: #6933fa; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"> What is she but a foul contending rebel ** ======

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<span style="color: #6b00ff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="color: #6933fa; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #6b00ff; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">And a graceless traitor to her loving lord? ** ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> After many weeks of marriage, Katherine and Petruchio attend her sister, Bianca's, wedding banquet. While the women are out of the room, Petruchio bets the other married men that his wife is the most faithful. When he calls her and she returns obediently, she delivers a speech about a wife's duties to the less obedient wives. This quote shows that Katherine has finally given up her fight against Petruchio's idea of an wife. She may not love him, but she accepts that she owes him respect and loyalty. Since she is stuck in this marriage, she realizes that she must settle for Petruchio. She has been tamed. ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Unlike Katherine, Jenna has the power to leave her controlling husband, Earl. When she holds her daughter for the first time, she has an epiphanic moment. She realizes that she can divorce Earl and still live a fulfilling life. She knows that she will be a great mother to Lulu and cannot wait to get started. She tells Earl husband that "I haven't love you in years," while she is still in the hospital bed. ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Although Katherine and Jenna started in very similar situations, their final outcomes were very different. They both learn the "requirements" for a wife and mother, but due to a more relaxed and egalitarian society, Jenna finishes ahead. She is truly happy as a single mother, while Katherine is simply indifferent about her own marriage. **During the 400 years that separate these stories, women have gained a significant amount of autonomy. They are no longer controlled by men and need not rely on them for emotional satisfaction. "Waitress" and "Taming of the Shrew" show that woman are now free to find happiness from more than just a husband, be it a child, partner, or someone else.** ======