Mona Lisa Smile – Free Access

Beyond the "MRS Degree": Lessons on Autonomy from Mona Lisa Smile

The students are under immense pressure to marry and settle down (the so-called "MRS degree"). Katherine Watson pushes them to consider that a career—or simply being single—is not a failure. Mona Lisa Smile

It’s 1953 at Wellesley College. The girls are brilliant, wealthy, and preparing for their ultimate goal: marriage. Enter Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), a progressive art history professor from California who challenges these women to look beyond the rigid gender roles of post-war America. Beyond the "MRS Degree": Lessons on Autonomy from

Women empower women. By tearing down the competitive, gossip-driven culture of the 1950s, the characters learn that supporting each other’s unique ambitions is more powerful than competition. Final Thought: The Mona Lisa Smile The girls are brilliant, wealthy, and preparing for

What is your favorite lesson from Mona Lisa Smile? Let me know in the comments! (focusing on the art scenes) 1950s Feminist Studies (focusing on the social context)