Luv 'n' Marriage

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

Jean comments:
"In Kramer, it has to do with love, and marriage,          
and whether there is fulfillment in restricting one's freedom for the greater
community.  The moral of the film is that one's own "happiness" is more
important than family, or community.  This is, in a nutshell, one of the moral
problems we are facing in today's society.  At what point should your own needs
by superceded by the needs of the many?  And, how does your expectation of
happiness affect this formula as well?  "Do it if it feels good" is an attitude
that in the long run is indirectly harmful, even if it is not directly harmful,
because you end up with generations who are not willing to sacrifice anything at
all for someone else's benefit."


I don't dispute your analysis at all in overall social terms, but keep in mind
that KRAMER VS. KRAMER is a setup from the get-go, since Streep runs off to
"
find herself" and winds up lurking outside playgrounds, for all the world like
Mae Marsh in INTOLERANCE.  All of this just helps Pa Kramer to look all the
more "normal."  Of course, running off to "find oneself" has long been a male
perogative; it'
s when the women start doing it that guys tend to get itchy.

Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)