Since Anne entered X's house as a wealthy nanny, she has actually become an accessory of the family just like the hostess. In order to keep her job, Annie had to give up any ideas of her own and obey any orders of the mistress; and as a vassal, Mrs X showed great dependence on her husband both materially and spiritually. And this kind of dependence has completely distorted her position in the family, or she single and completely based her sense of belonging on her husband, while ignoring her family and her mother's identity. But Mrs X is not without self, she is just repressed repeatedly, whenever she wants to improve her relationship and fight for her husband, all she can get is anger and hurt, because she and Mr X are not equal. This separation of identity and the vassal-like relationship between husband and wife made her indifferent to her son and careless, and only cared about whether her son's performance could satisfy her husband, which caused Glare to be greatly hurt.
Greer loves his parents and shows it as generously as all children, but his father's perfunctory, mother's neglect makes him turn his affection to the babysitter - an outsider in the family instead becomes him closest person. Greer said "I love you the most" to Annie more than once, and asked Annie more than once, "You won't leave, will you", but in the end Annie had to leave with Greer's puppy. Glare loves his parents but doesn't get an equal response from them, and it hurts; he loves his babysitter, but the intimacy hurts him too, because they eventually leave, no matter what. Willing or not.
Fortunately, Anni finally broke out and pushed Mrs X to choose independence and start life with his son again. In the letter at the end, her name for Annie finally changed from Nanny to Annie, which seemed to imply the dissolution of the double affiliation and the independence of both sides. Annie and her, one chose the career they liked, and the other chose parent-child and family. This was their final choice after experiencing confusion and depression, and it seemed to be the right choice.
The film conveys to us the concept that only by choosing oneself can we achieve ultimate spiritual fulfillment. But what I am curious about is, as Anne's mother said, "the real world is more cruel to women", in the real real society, can we really choose this way? But in any case, as Anne's mother said: It's your life.
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