First of all I have looked on netflix and YouTube hoping to find the ending of this movie to watch! I have seen it before when it came out and it was nice to see it again. I really like the setting that the movie takes place in. That is a part of the country I have never seen and the time period is intriguing as well. I find it a bit disturbing that in that time, in that upper class setting, that it was acceptable for the students to treat the teacher with such disrespect. The level of disrespect is present from Ms Watson's superiors as well.
You see these young ladies who are taught to memorize and recite. They do not look past the text in any creative manner. It pinpoints the exact difference our culture had at that time in history, from one coast to the other coast. You can see this because Ms. Watson came from California and had the idea that she could make a difference to students on the east coast. At first she felt defeated, which I would too. I feel that teachers have earned a high level of respect and you can see this was not present in this movie.
I like that she questioned the roles of her students, especially those who showed interest in breaking the mold. I do feel like she was a bit overly pushy when she applied for law school on behalf of her student. Only because this student wasn't really "allowed" to be exploring options other than marriage and the home life that came with it in those days.
All in all I highly enjoyed this movie, and I plan to rent it at the library and watch it again!
Good for you for taking the initiative to find out the ending, and great observations!
ReplyDeleteSo I also had found this movie on netflix. I was intrigued by it as well. I found that it was a bit disturbing that all the girls were being prepared for was marriage and children. I also realized that in that era of time it was frowned upon for a women to be independent and educated. I agree with what you stated about the girls not thinking outside the box they were reciting and memorizing the textbook. I loved the end because Ms. Watson did make that difference in these girls lives.
ReplyDeleteI also find the difference in culture interesting. Who knew that life in California could be so different compared to Wellesley College. The women were expected to get married and have children, however Ms. Watson represents a whole new light for them. She represents a life of opportunities and choices. Although the faculty find this disturbing, the women embrace the idea of being independent. I have yet to watch the ending, but I can already imagine the great impact Ms. Watson had on her students!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I also watched the movie at home on netflix. I was really into the movie in class and I needed to see the rest. I really like that though these students had been taught to memorize answers and give the answers that they were told were right, Ms. Watson encouraged them to look beyond and make their own assessments. I think that the movie did a nice job of highlighting what was east coast norm in 1954.
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