My Fake Relationship

Posted by Naima DeBrest in English 3 · Pahomov · B Band on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 7:10 pm

My Fake Relationship An analysation and comparison of The Taming of the Shrew and My Fake Fiance

Relationships are one of the most extreme forms of compromise. People give up little parts of themselves to please someone that they are supposed to remain with for life. In Shakespeare's, “The Taming of the Shrew” the audience views the progression of Katherine and Petruchio’s courtship and marriage. However Petruchio does not love Katherine and is only marrying here to receive the dowry from her father and to tame her into being the perfect wife. In “My Fake Fiance”, Jenn is a new homeowner who has been robbed and Vince is a gambling addict in heavy debt. They meet at a mutual friend's wedding and decide to get married so Jenn can keep the gifts and Vince can keep the money they recieve. Taming of the Shrew and My Fake Fiance have shown that marriage is a simply a deal that people make and they both expect something other than love out of the arrangement. The difference in My Fake Fiance is that, in today’s world, it is more acceptable for women to be honest about they want in a relationship and if it is money and status that is alright.

"Petruchio: O slow-winged turtle, shall a buzzard take thee?

Katherine: Ay, for a turtle, as he takes a buzzard

Petruchio: Come, come, you wasp! I’faith you are too angry

Katherine: If I be waspish, best beware my sting

Petruchio: My remedy is then to pluck it out

Katherine: Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies"

(Act 2, Scene 1, Line 220-225)

In this piece of text the first meeting of Katherine and Petruchio is shown. From the moment that they first begin to speak they are bickering. However their wits prove them to be equals in the field of insults. This displays that when people engaged in the deal of marriage they have to be compatible in some way. Whether that be that they are in “love” or they are able to provide sufficient retorts to the others comments. This connection made Katherine and Petruchio eligible for engaging in marriage. This is like the beginning scene in My Fake Fiance where Vince and Jennifer meet at a wedding and they begin to make fun of a profile each other.

Jenn and Vince at the Wedding

“ Jennifer: No, I mean there's no such thing as soulmates

Vince: So you sleep around?

Jennifer: Sorry, I’m not your type

Vince: I don’t have a type, what makes you think I have a type?

Jennifer: Please, have you ever heard the phrase ‘the clothes make the man’”

This is like the scene in Shrew because it chronicles the first meeting of Jenn and Vince and it shows that they are not really falling for each other at first so it only accentuates the fact they got into marriage for other reasons.

"Petruchio: Then tell me, if I get your daughter’s love, what dowry shall I have with her to wife?

Baptista: After my death, the one half of my lands, and in possession, twenty thousand crowns"

(Act 2, Scene 1, Line 126-129)

In this scene of Shrew Petruchio is talking with Baptista about how much he will receive if he marries Katherine. This shows that Petruchio only wanted one thing out of the marriage. It also showed the historical reference of how the fathers of the women were thankful for the marriage and payed the groom. This can be compared to the scene in My Fake Fiance when Jennifer’s parents begged to pay for the wedding.

Jenns mom begging to pay for the wedding

“Vince: Wait a minute, aren't the bride's parents supposed to pay?

Jennifer: No way. We are not asking my parents to pay for our fake wedding.”

In this section Jennifer’s mom is begging to pay for their wedding. Jennifer is insectanly telling her that she does not want her to pay but Vince convinces her to let them pay. This showed that families know that marriage is a deal and they wanted to thank Vince for taking their daughter. In previous section it had been stated that the mother and father were waiting for Jennifer to get married considering her sister Bonnie was already married.

"Hortensio: Petruchio, since we are stepped thus far in, I will continue that I broached in jest. I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife with wealth enough, and young and beauteous, brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman. Her only fault, and that is faults enough,
Is that she is intolerable curst, and shrewd, and froward, so beyond all measure that, were my state far worser than it is, I would not wed her for a mine of gold.
Petruchio: Hortensio, peace. Thou know’st not gold’s effect. Tell me her father’s name, and ’tis enough; for I will board her, though she chide as loud as thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.”

(Act 1, Scene 2, Line 84-97)

In this section of the play Petruchio is explaining to Hortensio that he wants to marry rich. Hortensio jokes that he knows that Katherine needs to get married but that he wouldn’t marry her. Petruchio finishes off by telling Hortensio that he does not know the power of money and that he would marry anyone. In that time it was more acceptable for men to be in marriage with a submissive wife and money. It further helped the claim that marriage is just a deal and that it is alright to not want love out of it. Petruchio male place in society made it more acceptable for him to be deceitful in marriage. This is different from the scene in My Fake Fiance where Jennifer puts everything that she wants on the wedding registry because that is all she is in it for.

Jenn making the wedding registry

“ Sales Associate: Oh, I couldn't help but notice. You know there’s an easier way to do that. Everything is computerized these days, so just choose what you want, aim the gun at the barcode and pull the trigger. It's a lot of fun.

Jennifer: Wow this is fun

Sales Associate: Here you go. Well you know what they say? It pays to get married.”

Jennifer is now able to go off of the mantra “ It pays to get married” because her and Vince have established that that is all the want. Also because of the new a progressive nature of time Jennifer was not shamed for being honest about all the material items that she wanted out of marriage. Her friends and family even made it a reality when the bought her these items.

The reality about marriage is that is not all about love. It is a deal between two people whether they are in love or not where the both receive something out of it. Petruchio wanted money. Katherine wanted to be worth something in the eyes of society. Vince wanted to pay off his gambling debt and Jennifer wanted to refurbish her house. All marriage contains ulterior motives but in the beginning it was only acceptable for men to have them. Now the objects that people want in marriage have become for transparent and acceptable for both partners to want, especially women.