Two Questions

1. Discuss the role(s) of women in the 1950s as portrayed in the movie. How are they different from the view of Katherine Watson?

Women in the 1950's were very domestic and submissive. If a woman was not married by the time she was out of college, then she was considered to be an old maid. They were supposed to cook and clean and take care of the children, and make sure their husband had all that he needed. And divorce was out of the question. Even if your husband beat you, you still stayed with him. People would look down on women in society who were in their thirties and not married, and those who had been divorced. Katherine Watson thought how many women think today. How people are people, and women can take care of themselves. She did not think that marriage was bad, but at such an early age and for the wrong reasons, she opposed it. 

1. Katherine Watson was said to be "subversive". What is your understanding of this term?

My understanding of the word "subversive" is trying to get rid of a disagreeable system or leadership, and change it to your own idea of what it should be. In this case, Katherine Watson was trying to make her authority and students understand the true roles of women. She successfully was able to make the girls understand her passion, but not the board of the school.