The document analyzes the theme of marriage in the film Rear Window. It discusses how the early dialog focuses on marriage, establishing its importance. It analyzes how Lisa's physical movements in the film demonstrate Jeffries' changing attitudes towards marriage. It discusses how Jeffries initially views marriage negatively, as represented by his neighbor Mr. Thorwald. However, Lisa proves herself capable and willing to join Jeffries in adventure. By the end, Jeffries envisions marrying Lisa as she demonstrates breaking down expectations of traditional marriage roles.

1. Kayla LeFevre
Eng. 5210
Stillinger, Tom
Jefferies’s Concept of Marriage in Rear Window
In Hitchcock’s Rear Window, a theme of marriage moves throughout the film.
Most of the earliest dialogues focus on this subject, and because of this initial
introduction, the theme carries a significant importance. Lisa’s physical movement
throughout the film is a concrete manifestation of Jeffries’s transformative affections for
her. It is a demonstration of a relationship’s development and his evolving attitude
towards marriage.
Jeffries’ profession as a photographer is established within the first few opening
minutes, as the camera views his apartment and sees his framed photographs and broken
camera. This establishing shot presents Jefferies as a person who is accustomed to
perceive his world from with an exterior lens. At the end of the establishing shot, the
audience sees a photo negative of a woman in a frame, and next to it the magazine cover
of the same photo in regular form. The magazine cover could be associated with society’s
perception of a beautiful woman; however, the negative photo establishes a hierarchy in
its frame. This communicates to the audience that Jeffries’ preference is—literally—the
opposite of the typical ideal of the “perfect woman.”
Because of his “plastered cocoon,” he is forced to notice his neighboring and
more personal surroundings. As we have discussed in class, the events seen through the
neighbors’ windows are manifestations of Jeffries’ perception of social communities.
This concept is reinforced multiple times, such as when Jefferies is speaking with Doyle,

2. fantasizing about getting married and “rushing home to a hot apartment to listen to the
automatic laundry and electric dishwasher and the garbage disposal and the nagging
wife” (6:23-6:35). This description reveals his belief that marriage is simply a long list of
unnecessary accessories that fulfill nagging chores. As he is saying this, the camera is
looking to Mr. Thorwald’s window as he reenacts Jefferies’s descriptions. This pairing of
dialogue and visual components establishes Mr. Thorwald’s window as the embodiment
of the standard model of marriage. And, if the neighbors are metaphors for roles in
society, than Jefferies’s position in his apartment is his own internal dialogue and
thoughts.
Jefferies’s dialogue with his physical therapist, Stella, extends his position about
marriage. In the dialogue, Jefferies expresses his discontentment for Lisa: “She’s too
perfect. She’s too talented, she’s too beautiful, she’s too sophisticated” (11:47-11:51).
Lisa Carol Fremont is, “from top to bottom,” (16:44) the idealized woman like the
magazines, and “she’s too everything but what I want” (11:51-11:53). This is where the
framed negative picture is a tangible representation of Jefferies’s preference to the
opposite of th popular concept of “perfect.” He states that he wants “a woman who is
willing to go anywhere and do anything,” (12:31-12:36) and she accepts this challenge
when she states: “If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to wear the proper clothes” (28:42-
28:46). Clothing, in this sense, could be read as her ability to adapt to his desires, to “play
the part,” if you will. This can even be seen with her wardrobe: it starts with a very
formal, elegant dress when she is positioned as the “perfect woman”; throughout the film,
each outfit becomes more and more casual and informal, until her outfit consists of a
simple, plain collared shirt and slacks.

3. Lisa’s position in Jeff’s mind also changes, like her outfits. In the beginning of the
film, Jeff expresses his disbelief that Lisa could see the world in the same manner as him.
Although he is speaking as to whether or not she could handle travailing with him, this
seems to also apply to whether or not she can internally perceive the outside world the
same as him. When he first speculates Mr. Thorwald’s guilt, she is skeptical and
unbelieving. However, it seems that when she begins to believe Jefferies’s theory, her
time spent at the apartment becomes more welcomed and less of a nuisance to Jefferies. It
has already been established that Mr. Thorwald’s apartment is an embodiment of what
Jeffries perceive marriage to be: the husband working long hours, only to return to a wife
who is ungrateful and does not accomplish anything of her own, almost having no
existence until her spouse returns home. Therefore, if Jefferies’s apartment embodies his
thoughts and mental perception, than the metaphor of her agreement of his view of
marriage is also a metaphor of of her agreement with his worldview.
Agreeing with his perception is not enough for Jefferies to fully change his mind
about Lisa. It is not until she moves outside the apartment, into the world in order to
prove the flaws of the standard idea of marriage, that Jefferies reveals his fondness for
her as he smiles when she returns. He begins to think in terms of “we” as Lisa had earlier
in the film, and realizes this as he says “I guess I’m using that word ‘we’ a little freely”
(1:32:30). The next time she enters Thorwald’s apartment to expose his failure as the
standard husband, she puts Mrs. Thorwald’s wedding ring on her wedding finger and
points it to Jefferies. This seems to be a manifestation of Jefferies now envisioning Lisa
with a wedding ring after her demonstrations of embarking on adventure to break down
the expectation of marriage.

4. Lisa has proven her ability to “go anywhere and do anything,” and because of
this, Jefferies becomes more content. Her movement from the internal space to the
external space is a representation of marriage moving from a thought to a more
substantial reality for Jefferies. This may be overreaching a bit, but the theme of marriage
is undeniably prevalent throughout the film. Therefore, I believe Lisa’s movement
throughout the film is a physical manifestation of Jefferies’s character changing his
standpoint on marriage.