Summary:
Marge met Chloe on TV, who used to be her high school friend and now is a
successful journalist. Marge invited Chloe to her house for dinner and she
found that Chloe’s life seems much better than hers, as a housewife. Marge
remembers that Chloe and she were both excellent school journalists, but she
gave up sticking to journalism because of pregnancy while Chloe kept going
after her boyfriend proposed. Marge’s daughter Lisa admires Chloe very much, hence
she requests Chloe to take her to a big conference. Without Marge’s permission
as well as Chloe’s notice, Lisa flees from home and hides in Chloe’s trunk. Due
to the occasional change, Chloe has to report the eruption of an active
volcano, but she and Lisa are trapped by the hot magma. At the urgent moment,
Marge comes and saves her girl in huge courage, and Chloe is saved by her high
school boyfriend who once was dumped by her. In the end, Marge’s family all
appreciate her bravery and Marge thinks that her choice of being a mother
rather than a journalist is worthy.
Symbols:
1.Chloe: Chloe
represents the women who give up their love in order to get more success in her
career. They have enviable work and life externally, but sometimes they have
less courage when confront tough problems like saving someone’s life in the
chance of losing their lives. In the end of the episode, when Chloe and Lisa
are trapped by the eruption of the volcano, Chloe scratches the tree, leaving
Lisa on the top of her car, which is much lower. They always think their life
and work are more important than others.
2.Marge:
Marge represents the women who give up their career in order to focus on taking
care of family. Their lives may be filled with cleaning, cooking and washing,
which externally are not as glamorous as the women like Chloe, but they have
the faith of keeping their families safe and sound. If necessary, they would
rather sacrifice themselves to keep their family members safe, like in the end,
the one who rescues Lisa is Marge.
3.Blue
hair: When Marge is young, her hair is straight, but when she becomes a
housewife, her hair is like a chimney. In the end of the episode, her hair is
on fire, but she simply says to Lisa that it takes at least 2 minutes to touch
her scalp. I think the blue hair represents something that Marge cares about
lot when she was young, but after she becomes a housewife, it is not so
important anymore.
4.Volcano:
Volcano represents the dangerous situation which a family can’t expect. Marge
and Homer can’t foresee Lisa goes with Chloe to report the eruption, and when
this happens, they have to take measures to solve it right away. This event
also proves the cohesion of a family.
5. Homer:
Homer is Marge’s husband who loves Marge very much but sometimes is irritating
and frustrating. He makes Marge lose her face during the presence of Chloe.
Homer represents the men who once were ambitious but as they get older, they
become ordinary. They are the energy source and hope of Marges, because they
make Marges stay behind them with the cost of giving up their career.
Meaning
of the episode: I think the entire episode is trying to present audience an
important choice in many girl’s lives – the choice of love and family or money
and fame. Marge decided to be a housewife, but she also wins herself “money”
and fame on TV. Chloe chooses to be a journalist, but “love” saves her
eventually. I think both love and money will be obtained whichever road a girl
takes, but it’s essential to choose one to keep going and never regret.
An interesting interpretation. I'm not sure that I agree with your claim that Chloe was saved by love (I don't think she was at all in love with that man). But I do like the way you identified Marge's blue hair as a meaningful symbol. And you quoted Marge's statement about her hair, just as Neuhaus will do. Writing like a pro!
回复删除