Matthew and Maria, meant to be?

Within Trust, the two main characters Maria and Matthew have an interesting relationship. I feel from a shallow viewpoint one can see a creepy thirty year old man desperate for a woman. He needs someone to commit to him because he feels it is the time to marry in his life and would take a depressed and fragile seventeen year old to fill this position. If we were to look at it in almost deeper sense, there is the hope that this plot was not the director's intentions. Matthew can parallel Mersault in the sense of pushing the boundaries of human nature. They are both complex in the sense that they perceive the world in an almost emotionless way and yet in the same instance  simple because they objectify their observations and do not allow the complications of feelings. Matthew does this by not expressing any feeling or emotion, he for the most part goes through his day with a lack of motivation. When he meets Maria, it seems that he has found something in his life that is not routine, he has found a sense of purpose. It is as if it's something he could potentially have feelings about. Maria is also looking for direction. She is a young girl who is pregnant and a drop out, she gradually begins to understand the need to change her life. Matthew brings a sense of structure in her life. He represents a possible future that could entail not so much, happiness, but something different, something that is for the most part honest. I feel that these two are meant for each other because they both share something, providing security for each other, which is what entails the key component to trust itself.

Comments

[Megan T.]

I definitely agree with you on this. I feel that Matthew and Maria are meant to be because they are very similar and help each other for the better. They both deal with issues relating to their families and seem to generally both be misunderstood people. Matthew and Maria give each other purpose and hope in life and help each other stand up to their parents. Although there is an obvious age difference between them, Matthew and Maria are meant to be and do represent the perfect couple because of their understanding of each other and ability to help one another make good decisions.

[Emily A.]

I agree that Matthew and Maria are not supposed to be the "creepy 30 year old guy and 17 year old couple," but I do not think they provide a sense of security for one and other. Security seems to imply something like a blanket, a thing that makes one feel better. Rather, Matthew and Maria seem to make companions for one and other when no one else understands them. Their conversation on love during the trust fall scene is an example of the company they make to one another. While the conversation was sensical to Matthew and Maria, it would have been taken as one sided non sense with characters such as the mother, the sister, or Matthew's father.

[Catie H.]

I think that throughout the movie the audience is supposed to come to the conclusion that Matthew and Maria are meant to be. They seem to fit perfectly together, besides the age difference, because of their view of life, their family problems, and the ways that they manage to help each other. However, if they were truly meant to be then why did the movie end the way that it did? Why was the last scene them being separated?

[Margo T]

Yeah, I don't think the directors intentions were to have a thirty year old man creep on a 17 year old girl. I do agree that they are almost perfect for each other. They kind of give each other guidance which both of them were lacking before they met.