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A Woman Under the Influence - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
The Spaghetti Dinner
Symbolizes the performative nature of domesticity and the 'social test' Mabel is constantly subjected to.
Nick brings his entire construction crew home for an unannounced meal, forcing Mabel to play the role of the gracious hostess in a high-pressure environment.
The Telephone
Represents the broken connection between the couple and the intrusion of the judgmental outside world.
The film begins with a failed phone call between Nick and Mabel, and ends with Nick refusing to answer a ringing phone, symbolizing a temporary closing off of their private world from external interference.
Swan Lake / Tchaikovsky
Symbolizes Mabel's inner world of beauty and grace, which is at odds with her gritty reality.
Mabel plays the music and encourages the children to dance with her, using it as an escapist fantasy that others view as evidence of her madness.
The Bed
Represents the site of both intimacy and confinement; it is where the couple tries to reconcile but also where they are most vulnerable to each other's attacks.
Many of the film's most intense arguments and moments of reconciliation take place in or around the oversized bed, which dominates their small living space.
Philosophical Questions
What defines 'Sanity' in a domestic setting?
The film explores whether sanity is an internal state or merely a measure of how well one conforms to the expectations of others.
Is love enough to bridge a breakdown in communication?
Despite their undeniable love, the characters' inability to communicate leads to tragedy, suggesting that love without understanding can be a prison.
Core Meaning
The film serves as a visceral exploration of the thin line between mental illness and social non-conformity. Director John Cassavetes suggests that Mabel’s 'madness' may not be an inherent pathology, but rather a reasonable reaction to the crushing weight of patriarchal expectations and the lack of a genuine emotional outlet in a domestic setting.
Ultimately, the film posits that the people around Mabel—particularly Nick—are as 'under the influence' of societal norms as Mabel is of her own internal impulses. It carries a message about the terrifying vulnerability of love: that even the most genuine affection can become a tool of control and destruction when it is filtered through a desire for conformity.