Olivia+Smith

= ** The Financial Relationship Approval. ** =

//A comparison between "Taming of the Strew" and "The Notebook"//

“The Taming of the Strew” reiterates the sure fact that parents always want a spouse that is stable for their daughters. In the story the very wealthy, Baptista is holding interviews for the suitors of his gorgeous daughter, Bianca, to ensure that she will have a stable and wealthy life with one of the boys, no matter what the feelings. This point is proven once again in the 2004 film, “The Notebook”. The two main characters of the movie, Noah and Allie, fall in love one summer. Allies parents have no regards to their relationship due to Noah’s lower class family and poorly paying job and try to split them up to find Allie a more suitable boy. These two examples are from completely different eras yet some of the priorities have stayed the same. Parent have always wanted what was best for their kids. From then to now, money blinds parents to what actually matter in their child’s relationship.

Allie and Bianca’s parents do make similar points in each story but, the way they go about succeeding their goal of ensuring the wealth of their daughters, is quite different. While Bianca has no say in the matter, Allies parents hide the evidence of the the two characters love. These two situations are a sure plan for some kinds of tension but they also show how that what societies parents want for their children has nothing to do with attraction, but how financially stable they are.

Bianca is facing the problem of her older, and hard tempered, sister must get married before her. She is a very beautiful young lady and has many suitors but, her father is the one to choose who is the most suitable for her. Lucentio is very rich and comes from a very successful family; he wants nothing more that to be married to Bianca so he has his friend dress up as him to go Baptista to offer all he has to Bianca. When Tranio dressed up as Lucentio arrives to offer Lucentio’s fortune he sees that he’s not the only one who is trying for this same prize.

Shall have my Bianca's love.
-Baptista (Act II, Scene I, Lines 361-364)

Baptista is showing that Bianca has no say in the matter of who she is marrying. Proving that at this point in time marriage had nothing to do with love, or even attraction at all. It’s all about the money and what they have to offer.

Much like Bianca’s father saying that she has to marry this wealthy man in the story, Allie finds herself facing a similar dilemma.



After a long summer of spontaneous adventure the two main characters are being pulled apart. Allies parents are planing to move and enroll her in a collage far away from Noah and his plans. When Allie becomes aware of the plan she retaliates and disagrees with the plans. She wants to stay with Noah and continue the written love. In the midst of the fighting Allie’s mother brings up her opinion of Noah being all wrong for Allie due to his placement in the lower class. Whilst this conversation is running its corse, Noah is sitting in the next room, over hearing all of it and decides to leave; thinking that maybe it’s true and Allie should go for someone who can provide more.

Allie and Bianca have very similar situations with their state of relationship entitlement. Bianca is told that she must be married to Lucentio. Without having a say in what happens, no matter what her feelings. Showing that her father has no care for what her feelings are. Meanwhile, the real Lucentio is dressed as a Bianca’s school teacher, attempting to get to know her better. Bianca soon realizes that she likes Lucentio and soon pursues letting him get to know her during her lessons.

Let it be rest"
- Bianca (Act III, Scene I, Lines 58-60)

Biance is telling Lucentio (as Cambio, the school teacher) that she is not sure about how she feels about him and that it is not her decision. This is telling the audience that she has no control over the situation. This is showing that in these times the child has very little to no say at all in who she marries. The child must do whatever the parent tells them. Showing today’s generation that they have so much more of a say in what they do in the relationship category.

Allie faces different obstacles with her life later on. She decides to move on from Noah, thinking that he had never pursued there relationship. When years have gone by and she is about get married to a very rich and successful soldier, she sees Noah’s picture in the paper. She finds this more than a coincidence and decides she should go see him to catch up. This brings up conversations and she soon find out that he wrote her everyday for a year, but her mother kept them from her from knowing about him.



Allie finds this out and is so distraught. She falls back in love with Noah and decides to go back with him. Proving that in more recent times, children have more of a say in the relationship they are in. Proving that money shouldn't decide who you are with. It shouldn't decide your happiness. When she relizes this she comes running to Noah and they live a lovely life together. This is showing that in more current times the child has so much more power and that they still have the money rules but they have made sure that the actual relationship and the attraction is there.

In conclusion, Allie and Bianca have very similar stories yet they are in very different times so this twists the outcome. Over all the population has morphed the priorities of what a relationship should be and kept some of the necessities.