During the scene in which Jack, Luareen and Lureen’s family are having thanksgiving dinner seemed to be a point in which Lureen enjoyed a spark of pride and completeness. During most of the movie Jack is constantly being portrayed as inferior from remarks by Lureen’s father or patrons of the family business. Even Lureen herself was dismissive of Jack and his concerns about their son.
It was during the thanksgiving dinner that Jack finally had enough. Jack and Lureen’s son was watching the football game on TV while at the dinner table and not responding to Lureen’s questioning. Jack brought out the turkey and began to carve it when Lureen’s father belittled him by taking over the carving duties. This started jack’s temperature boiling at which point he lashed out by getting up and turning off the TV and telling his son to listen to his mother. Lureen’s father then proceeded to turn the TV back on and make a comment about “Real men need to watch football”. This further enraged Jack prompting him to again turn off the TV and proceed to finally put Lureen’s father in his place. It was at this time that Lureen was illuminated with the sense of fulfillment of having a complete husband that had shown a back bone and the potential to be the provider she had hoped for.
While Lureen was a strong and resilient woman who seemed to be the head of her immediate family, it was evident that she longed for a traditional marriage where the male was the primary provider who provided comfort and security for the family. This is no doubt a product for societal norms and expectations of the white patriarchal structure. Lureen struggles with this probably from the expectation of her father and what she has always known from seeing her father and other males being the primary decision makers of families. What Lureen actually learned, was how to take charge and be resilient and strong willed which was how she was portrayed in the movie. This further complicated Lureen’s feeling and expectations. If society had not set false boundaries and expectations for certain segments of our society, much of the animosity that perpetuates these barriers would be eliminated.
Ultimately Lureen struggled with her natural abilities as a leader and confident business women which were stifled by her own inhibitions which were ingrained in her by society contributing to her unhappiness.
