Because this is a comedy, the social conventions of that time can be laughed at as they are not so in your face or emotive.
My favourite part in this movie comes towards the end. It reminds me so much of the color - 'The Colour Purple'. It's the scene where - or it's the way Marilyn walks in the room brandishing a wedding ring and making the announcement 'I's Married Now' - "I Married Terry 3 Months Ago" - (in a snotty nose voice) - as if that makes everything alright and all the problems go away.
It's hard to believe that back then a woman's worth is/was determined by whether she's married or not and that she is/was judged by all of society by how well she marries - ie: the pay scale of her husband's income.
I think I find it fascinating because of the romantic notions we have about marriage, which are very different for men and women. Also, the idea that individual & personal responsibility can only be achieved through marriage. To me, the two don't equate.
Although we are leaning more & more on how well we manage our finances - ie: Credit History & Credit Scores - that determine how responsible we are as adults, much of today's society still determines responsible behaviour and worthiness through the eyes of marriage. Many application forms asterisk & force us to answer questions that reveal our marital status. At least on paper you can choose not to answer but you can't online. Online application forms won't proceed to the next stage until you answer all the questions that are not optional and the marital status question is seldom optional.
Still, the movie had a happy ending. Marilyn is now deemed a responsible adult & Terry - Marilyn's husband, had a sizeable income: £250.00 per week for signing a record contract.
