A proud wife
Cathy is a proud wife of a salesman and is highly praised in her role of supporting her husband. It seems that's the only thing Cathy is praised in, supporting the husband, while not having something of her own to be proud of. The identity of a woman at the time portrayed in the movie is almost always exclusively connected to her role as a wife and a mother.
Picture perfect marriage
The marriage of the Whitaker couple is on the surface as close to perfection as it gets. The husband is a successful businessman and wife is supportive of her husband. The reality is a little different, and it is shown through the progressive unhappiness of the husband. He has a perfect life, but in reality is miserable because it doesn't correspond with his truth.
Domestic violence
The scenes that include Frank yelling and even hitting his wife are seemingly glossed over, as is the issue of domestic violence. Despite it not being shown in an extreme measure in the movie, the issue with Cathy's decision to remain quiet about it, hiding the wound on her forehead and even justifying him by saying that he didn't mean to hit her are still present.
Love story
The movie shows an unsuccessful love story between Cathy and Raymond, who are deeply affectionate toward each other, but who can't be together because of prejudice and hatred of the society. The movie ends on a sad note, with Cathy being unable to get what she wants even after following her heart. Raymond decides to make the best decision for his daughter and leave town, while Cathy is left without both her husband and the man she loves. It shows a more realistic approach where it isn't always about breaking the boundaries and following the heart no matter the consequences, it is about making selfless decisions to protect the loved ones.
