The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 2

Part 1

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While the Housemans are unloading their baggage from their car, Lisa and her mother Marjorie discuss Lisa's wardrobe.

Lisa Houseman
(Observing that someone else's large pile of shoe boxes is being taken into the hotel)
Oh, my God. Look at that! Mom, I should've brought the coral shoes. You said I was taking too much.

Marjorie Houseman
Well, sweetheart, you brought ten pairs.

Lisa Houseman
But the coral shoes matched that dress.

This concern is important to Lisa, and she is not inhibited in expressing it to her Mom, who will treat the concern seriously. Marjorie does not dismiss or mock Lisa's concern.

However, Majorie has suggested to Lisa that she should limit her vacation wardrobe for practical reasons. Marjorie surely argued to Lisa that the baggage space in the car and in the hotel room would be limited.

Marjorie indulges Lisa's desire to optimize her appearance at great expense. When Lisa becomes upset about a trivial flaw -- the imperfection of a color match between shoes and a dress -- Marjorie gently calms Lisa.

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In contrast, Lisa's concern is mocked immediately by her father and sister.

Jake Houseman
This is not a tragedy. A tragedy is three men trapped in a mine or police dogs used in Birmingham.

Baby Houseman
Monks burning themselves in protest.

Lisa Houseman
Butt out, Baby.

Although her father started the mockery, Lisa does not dare to tell him to "butt out".

The three tragedies are irrelevant to Lisa's concern about her vacation wardrobe. The tragedies happened no matter which shoes Lisa did or did not bring. Apparently, though Lisa's father and sister perceive that Lisa is generally too ignorant and unconcerned about current events.

Doctor Houseman saves sick people's lives, and Baby is planning to save the world. Meanwhile, Lisa seems to care only about her wardrobe. And Marjorie indulges Lisa!

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Does Marjorie herself care about the world's tragedies? At dinner, Marjorie starts the family's mocking of Baby.

Marjorie Houseman
Look at all this leftover food. Are there still starving children in Europe?

Baby Houseman
Try Southeast Asia, Ma.

Marjorie Houseman
Right.

Jake Houseman
(Addressing Robbie)
Robbie, Baby wants to send her leftover pot roast to Southeast Asia, so anything we don't finish, wrap it up.

(Addressing Max)
Max, our Baby's gonna change the world.

Max Kellerman
(Addressing Lisa)
And what are you gonna do, Missy?

Baby Houseman
Lisa's gonna decorate it.

Baby, with her remark Try Southeast Asia, Ma, suggests that her "Ma" stopped caring about starving children long ago. In the 1940s children were starving in Europe, but now in 1963 the starving-children problem is in Southeast Asia. Marjorie, like Lisa, seems to be ignorant and unconcerned about current events.

Marjorie and Jake both have mocked Baby. Baby retaliates by mocking Lisa, who has not said anything. Evidently, there is plenty of resentment in the Houseman family.

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Baby insinuates that her mother cares too little about starving children in Southeast Asia. Baby herself intends to help those children directly, by joining the Peace Corps. Indeed, Baby might actually join the Peace Corps right after she graduates from college, four years in the future.

For Marjorie and Jake, however, aspiring to join the Peace Corp and thus to directly help starving children in Southeast Asia it is not practical. They are middle-aged, married parents with various professional, financial and social obligations. They both have come to resent Baby's insinuations about their supposed lack of concern, and so they both mock Baby.

Of course, Marjorie does care about starving children abroad, but she cannot help them directly. What she can do is to vote for liberal politicians who will raise taxes to pay for generous foreign aid to help starving children abroad. For example, Marjorie voted for Adlai Stevenson for President in the 1950s and for John Kennedy for President in 1960. She always votes for Democrats, because she expects them to raise taxes in order provide various government benefits to disadvantaged people

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Lisa respects her mother and generally follows her mother's example. Like her mother, Lisa intends to marry a doctor or some such successful professional. Lisa intends to give birth and stay at home and raise her family's children. Lisa intends to create and maintain a beautiful home and to support her husband. Lisa will socialize with the other doctors' wives and thus support her husband socially.

Like her mother, Lisa will donate some of her family's money to various charities. Lisa will likewise vote for liberal Democrats who will generously vote for generous government programs.

Lisa does not think much about politics, because she intuitively understands correct political principles and conduct. Lisa intends to follow in her mother's footsteps and thus she will live a good life.

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Continued in Part 3