This is Why You can't Have Nice Things

Be patient, gentlemen. I choose her for myself.

If she and I be pleased, what’s that to you?

'Tis bargained ’twixt us twain, being alone,

That she shall still be curst in company.

I tell you, ’tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate!

She hung about my neck, and kiss on kiss

She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath,

That in a twink she won me to her love.

O, you are novices! 'Tis a world to see,

How tame, when men and women are alone,

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.

(Act II, Scene I, Line 1153 Petruchio)

Petruchio describes the fact that regardless of how Katherine thinks, he will some how manage to ‘tame,’ her, by ensuring she does exactly what he says, has a certain attitude, and ultimately becomes his own pawn. He implies that marrying her, or otherwise keeping her completely under his control will help shape her into another person, giving the audience the idea that she is essentially unable to find someone else that would love her, without proper guidance.

Tori’s take on this approach is almost entirely different, with varying results as she goes.

After confronting Scott one night at a party, and having an encounter while Black Friday shopping, Tori decides to see if she can challenge the previous connotations of Scott’s attitude, and essentially have him gradually change his ways. Hence the introduction of the bucket list with a twist. The list contains different activities that generally hold major consequences, however the entire point, as speculated by Scott, is to loosen up.  It is later revealed, however,  that Tori’s initial intent from the start was to change Scott, in order to be exactly like she was. This gives insight on Tori’s past, which to an extent was ostracized by the fact that most had negative outlooks on her, which caused her to look down at the rest of the world, specifically Scott. These ideas, despite being so small, are a much bigger problem, because they give Tori justification that she is, in fact, vulnerable, and to an extent, unlovable.   This carries out through the movie, and through realizations and actions of her own doing, her mentality is challenged, showing her overall that she in fact, had nothing to hold a tough front over.

Why came I hither but to that intent?

Think you a little din can daunt mine ears?

Have I not in my time heard lions roar?

Have I not heard the sea puff'd up with winds

Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?

Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,

And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?

Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang?

And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

That gives not half so great a blow to hear

As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

(Petruchio Act I, Scene II Line 16)

Petruchio, in one of his many speeches, declares in part, that if a man cannot control his wife, he is more often than not, effeminate, and therefore loses a strong sense of masculinity because of it. The problem with this kind of thinking, is the fact that it leads to a much more destructive mindset when it comes to relationships. These ideas can branch off from extreme moments of insecurity, specifically when feeling as if the opposing gender is better to some degree. By holding what Petruchio considers, ‘masculinity,’ by controlling his soon to be wife, Katherine, he gives himself some form of gratitude that he is far superior to her, because of his gender.

In the movie, this exact mindset is shared by a secondary main character, Joel, who believes that his gender alone sets him apart from the rest, as he attempts to chase after Janie, Scott’s younger sister.

Throughout the movie, Joel has an arrogant attitude toward both himself, and women in general. He feels as though, much like Petruchio, gender alone is a means of strength. This alone gives him a false sense of entitlement, which fuels his attraction toward Janie, motivating him to go to the extremes in order to impress her. While he does, in the end realize his mistakes, the vast majority of the movie is Joel taking pretty immense risks in order to captivate a girl that barely has any connection toward him, for his own selfish justifications. His attitude in general comes off as an entire facade, generated from a semi narcissistic personality, in order to hide major insecurities.

Women have definitely  taken a much higher stand when it comes toward relationships. They aren't generally going to change themselves for someone else, nor are they going to follow closely in the footsteps of Katherine. In a way, women have almost taken to the role of Petruchio.The main character holds the same attitude as Katherine does. She's blunt completely out there, and at first glance, extremely cold. The problem is though, her motives are very different from that of Katherine's which makes this comparison completely useless.

Unlike Katherine, Tori isn't the one being tamed, she is, however the one attempting to do the taming. She, unlike Katherine, stays true to what she really is, while attempting to change and mold the male main character into her own image. The same goes for Joel, in the sense that manipulating himself, in order to hide a false sense of accomplishment, ‘tames,’ Janie, in order to justify the fact that he is worth something and can be loved.