Love is a Trainwreck

Love is a Trainwreck

The taming of the shrew, Trainwreck.

       The film "Trainwreck" centers around two complete opposites who come together. Aaron is a successful doctor, pursuing a not-so-successful, small time writer, Amy. Amy is a non-monogamous woman; embracing her sexual freedom. Aaron has yet to venture into his sexuality. Aaron’s sexual encounter with Amy means the world to him, yet all Amy expects is a one night stand. Amy, who has never gone on a second date with a man, sets low expectations of all her relationships. Even so, she secretly wishes she could find love but does not want to be tamed. On the other hand, Aaron expects her to buckle down and become wife material. In the play, ‘The Taming of The Shrew,” Katherine is a hot-headed, independent woman, who is searching for love but has no suitors. Petruchio, a rich suitor, takes Katherine's hand in marriage. Petruchio expects his wife Katherine to become wife material also, but by employing much more extreme tactics. Aaron is persistent and sweet, yet Petruchio is harsh and essentially tortures her. Although expectations in relationships have changed, these two sources show: If the pursuer is persistent, then their tactics of achieving love do not matter.

    Petruchio is a wealthy suitor looking to win Katherine’s hand in marriage. Katherine is a strong woman with a tongue like a wasp, which does not take kindly to many people. In anticipation of this, Petruchio enlists tactics to help win her love.

¨Say that she rail, why then I’ll tell her plain she sings as sweetly as a nightingale. Say that she frown I’ll say she look as clear as morning roses newly washed with dew. Say she be mute and will not speak a word, then I’ll commend her volubility and say she uttereth piercing eloquence. If she do bid me pack, I’ll give her thanks as though she bid me stay by her for a week.If she deny to wed, I’ll crave the day.”

(ACT 2 SC 1 lines lines 178-186)

In this quote, Petruchio has yet to meet Katherine: the woman he wishes to pursue, but he already holds expectations of their relationship and plans to counter this with his tactics. He describes his tactics to win the love of Katherine. The key to this tactic is persistence. Persistence will overcome the sharp tongue of Katherine.

Much like Petruchio, Aaron is faced with a woman who does not want his affections and has entirely different expectations of the relationship.

The main character, much like Katherine, is hard headed and blunt. Here we can see Aaron and her after having sex, she is clearly expressing discomfort. However, Amy stays the night, breaking her very own biggest rule: never sleeping over.The next day, Aaron calls to say that he had an amazing time and wants to see her again. This surpassess all of the initial expectations Amy had, a one night stand, and the persistence of Aaron bewilders Amy. Confused and flattered, she agrees to see him again. Although Aaron knows Amy was uncomfortable and did not

“Marry, so I mean, sweet Katherine, in thy bed. And therefore, setting all this chat aside, Thus in plain terms: your father has consented that you shall be my wife, your dowry’ greed on, and, will you, nill you. I will marry you.  

(Act 2, Scene 1, 282-286)

     At this point in “The Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio and Katherine find themselves in a heated argument. Katherine is not taking kindly to a man walking into her life and demanding that he will marry her. Katherine does not want this in her relationship, she expects a loving husband. “Will you, nill you” translates to “whether you like it or not.”

Aaron takes this same approach, by once again ignoring the clear rejection from Amy.

    Much like the Taming of the Shrew, we have the pursuer ignoring all obvious signs of being rejected. Amy explicitly says no she would not like to start dating him, but Aaron is not deterred in the slightest. Trainwreck is in a much less severe setting, as Amy is not being told she will marry Aaron, like Katherine is to Petruchio.

     In both “The Taming of The Shrew” and “Trainwreck,” men meet their match with the woman they are trying to pursue. Petruchio of Shrew has a very harsh demeanor of winning over Katherine, yet his persistence causes Katherine to defy her expectations of their relationship and find love with Petruchio. Similarly, Aaron insists on seeing Amy after she makes a strong impression, and wins over the woman who has never had a commitment in her life. This proves to show that love is unpredictable, and will shatter the expectations of any party.

Works Cited:

Shakespeare, William . Folger Shakespeare Library. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. N.p.: Washington Square Press Drama, n.d. Print.

Trainwreck . Prod. Judd Apatow and Joshua Church. By Amy Schumer. Perf. Amy Schumer Bill Hader. Cinemax, 2015. Xfinity. Xfinity, 17 July 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.