The movie opened up with a bit of talk about what the Wellesley School was, most renowned in the country, and an all girls school. Catherine Watson comes to Wellesley to "make a difference". She teaches art history. It was the Fall of 1953 and withing the first few minutes you see the amount of rituals, and old fashioned tradition that is so valued there at Wellesley. Everything is clean, girls are dressed very old fashioned and appear to be all somewhat wealthy. Mrs Watson reports to her new living quarters in the teachers dorms, after hearing the extensive set of rules for her there, especially the part about "no hot plate", she decided to live in a private home. This is the home owned by the Speech and etiquette teacher who runs it like a b and b. She will have her own area, and share the space with another teacher down the hall. This is Amanda Armstrong, the school nurse.
Mrs Watson enters her first day of class a bit nervously, she is warned that the girls can "smell her fear". She enters into a class full of very bubbly and excited girls, all overly prepared for the art history class having read the entire book before hand. They seem to know everything and have high standards set for their new professor. Mrs Watson is the one who is unprepared. Her entire lesson plan is already known by the girls in her class. They are clearly over achievers up until this point. Mrs Watson moved to the east coast from California and was in a state of culture shock.
She studies the girls files and sees what their accomplishments are. She returns to class with a new syllabus. She is warned by other faculty members of the control that the alumni have over what happens in the school. Armstrong the school nurses shows us a personal example of her handing out birth control and being fired for it.
Meanwhile you have these girls who only seem to value a man, being married, having children and the status that allows you. None of these girls seen to have much self worth, they cannot wait to be adults. One girl, Joan, who wants to major in Law, has no intention of actually doing so because she will just end up married before then. Another girl, Betty, gets married at an early age and becomes excited about a washer and dryer as opposed to having a college degree and becoming self sufficient. Betty is the one who got Armstrong fired, she argued it was illegal for her to hand out diaphragms.
There is a scene where the girls are having a race, the winner is to be the first one who gets married, kind of like when you catch the bouquet at a wedding. When Mrs Watson asks other teachers for advice, they state, "never getting noticed" is the key to surviving Wellesley.
One thing that caught my attention too, was how it seemed accepted by all that Giselle was having a relationship with her professor, yet birth control was not allowed? The staff and alumni in higher ranks seem to be concerned with the girls finding and making a family, not actually being schooled to become something else one day. Mrs Watson is conasidered "progressive", "liberal", and challenging of the "right way". Which immediatly draws attention to her as a new teacher. She is scolded by a superior who informs her that she basically wont make it there, they were waiting for her review in the spring.
Mrs Watson wants to help her students move forward, she begins to teach on more modern art, pushing one student in particular to go on to college as opposed to marriage. She found a way to get the girls to look outside the box. Reflect on their own oppinions instead of "whats right". She herself shows rebellious tendencies towards marrying the man she loves, preffering to push him away instead. Her personal love life suffers.
To be continued.......
Excellent observations!
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