Christian+Gelbolingo

** // Forty-two // ** A Walk to Remember & The Taming of the Shrew

In the book, "The Taming of The Shrew," Katherine and Petruchio did not love each other at first, for their marriage was fixed by both families. However, towards the end of the book, Katherine delivers a harangue to the other wives explaining her love for Petruchio. In the 2002 film, A Walk to Remember, the main characters, Landon and Jamie, did not acknowledge each other though they have known each other since kindergarten. Both characters fall in love with each other after facing many challenges.The two couples reflect how society’s behavior towards relationships sometimes work. The idea that love is nonexistent at first, but then blossoms after obstacles is reflected in both texts.

**"What, with my tongue in your tail?"** **"I swear I'll cuff you if you strike again." ** **"That I'll try."** **//She strikes him.//** **"I swear I'll cuff you if you strike again."** (Act II, Scene i, 231-234)

Early in "Shrew," while all the other suitors wait for Bianca, Petruchio approaches Bastista, Bianca and Katherine's father, asking him the opportunity to see Katherine. As he waits anxiously for Baptista to send Katherine out to see him,. When Katherine walks in, she immediately gives off a negative reaction towards Petruchio. The conversation heats up and later turns into a quarrel with each one more insulting than the other. Katherine's metaphors insult Petruchio, however, he turns them into sexual remarks. The dispute becomes so heated up, she hits him, but he continues on trying to woo her. In this quote, both characters do not fall in love the second the second they see each other. They argue, calling each other "buzzard," and "slow-winged turtle".

Although the main characters in the film do not argue nor physically fight one another, they find themselves in a similar situation as Katherine and Petruchio as well.



Earlier in the movie, Landon is caught drinking on school property. The principal does not expel him, however, he punishes Landon. One of Landon’s punishments is to take part in the drama club’s spring play. In this scene from, "A Walk to Remember," Landon gets a ride home from Jamie who is also in the play. Landon shows a critical and disrespectful attitude towards Jamie, who stays calm throughout the car ride. She later says, “Forty-two.” He asks, “What do you mean, forty-two?” She replies, “Forty-two is befriend somebody I don’t like.” Later in the scene, Jamie drives by Landon's friends and he quickly hides inside the car so he is not seen with her. Like Katherine and Petruchio, Jamie and Landon did not see eye to eye at first, let alone fall in love with each other. Unlike Petruchio, Landon does not want anything to do with the female character, as seen in the photos above, he hides himself to prevent his friends from seeing her with him. However, Petruchio does not stop until Katherine gives in and marries him. Also, there is a significant difference in the way the women act. Katherine is a woman with a bold and demanding personality, while Jamie is very submissive and calm.

**"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,** **Thy head, thy sovereign, one that ares for thee,"** (Act V, Scene ii, 162-163)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">At the very end of the book, Petruchio and Katherine attend Lucentio's banquet as a married couple, along with Lucentio and Bianca, and, Hortensio and the widow. The men suggest that Katherine has not changed, and that she was still a "shrew." They propose a text to see which wife is the most <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">obedient. The men call their wives and the only one that showed up, was Katherine. Katherine obeyed everything Petruchio asked her to do. This shows that her outlook on Petruchio has changed and that she has been "tamed." In this scene, he asks her to bring the other wives and give them a speech about the obligation they owe their husbands. In the speech, she expressed her deep affection and appreciation for her husband.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">As the Shakespearean couple changed their views towards one another as their relationship flourish, so does Jamie and Landon.



<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Prior to the scene shown above, Jamie reveals that she was diagnosed with leukemia two years before their relationship, and that she is not responding to <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">anymore treatments. Towards the end of the movie, Jamie is hospitalized. She says, "...you kept me healthy longer. This journey never ends. Like, you were sent to me because I'm sick. To help me through all this. You're my angel." This changes everything in the relationship. Their relationship began to thrive. Both of them brought out the side of each other they thought they'd never see. She brought out the good in him, what once was a troublesome young teenage boy was now a loving, caring and ambitious young man. Jamie too has changed. In the beginning she was very uptight. He has helped her finish a few things from her "to-do" list before she dies.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Both couples ended things on a good notes. Though Jamie's death was not part of the plan, she died knowing that she changed Landon for the good, and that they love each other. In the "Shrew," Petruchio and Katherine did not get along very well at first, but as time went by, Katherine becomes obedient, showing her love and affection towards Petruchio. Both texts show how the couples' relationships changed overtime and how it grew stronger as it overcomes challenges. This reflects how society's behavior towards relationships work, that love is not something that will exist from the start, it must face challenges in order for it to grow.