After watching the whole drama, I think it may be more appropriate to translate the title of normal people as "normal people". There are so many normal people, and everyone's love feelings and thinking are different in the process of generating love. We should not have the idea that we are not worthy of love because of our own inferiority (defects in the original family, not high enough social status, inferiority caused by money). Each of us is normal. And this "I don't deserve to be loved" or "I don't deserve to be with him/her" notion really influences every decision or action both of Marianne and Connell make.
I love this conversation between the two of them the most.
Marianne: "It's not like this with other people."
Connell: "I like you a lot more than other people."
The male protagonist and the female protagonist had their own partners (py/gf/bf) in the final journey together, but if we really look closely, we will find that these so-called "partners" are not really I have thought about what the male and female protagonists really need, or where this relationship can go.
For example, Connell is not unhappy when he is with Helen, because he needs the affirmation of this outside factor (the love of Helen's beautiful, high-class ideal girlfriend). But when they were together, because Helen was so perfect, so positive, so positive, Connell couldn't really express his negative emotions or thoughts with her when he was with this kind of girl. And there are many negative, positive and even boring thoughts in his heart, but he can express it without burden with the heroine (the book has the psychological description of the hero in this regard).
For example, when Marianne was with Jamie, she had a very ambivalent attitude towards Jamie due to her family of origin (brother Alan's violence towards her, mother's ignorance and indifference towards her brother's violence). On the one hand, the heroine hates Jamie's violence, but she also has a kind of enjoyment/attachment/inseparability that she can't even describe herself, and she has some pleasing personality factors. Even the so-called "friends" of the heroine will persuade the heroine to cherish Jamie. And these boyfriends or friends who conform to the female protagonist's class status have never really respected the female protagonist. They don't care or even want to understand the inner needs of the female protagonist.
The relationship between Connell and Marianne is very relaxed, comfortable and pleasant. It is difficult for Marianne to refuse others or even to please each other's character in love, and Connell gave the heroine the feeling of "being worthy of being loved" in many details. For example, when they kissed for the first time, Marianne said: "You can take my clothes off now" (to the effect); for example, when the two of them were at the ghost, Marianne also said to him: "You can take off my clothes now." Do whatever you want." (Effect). But Connell did nothing. Because he respects Marianne from the bottom of his heart and respects any woman in his life. For example, when the two wore condoms for the first time, the male protagonist looked at her seriously and said to Marianne: "You are very beautiful. I am serious." "If you feel any discomfort, you can tell me at any time." Later, he would often praise and affirm the heroine very solemnly. Another example is the time on vacation in Italy, when the heroine was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, and her then-boyfriend Jamie was standing behind the heroine bored drinking beer, only the hero came forward and politely asked her if she needed help? And he didn't feel that these behaviors were worthy of praise, but some very natural actions. It can be seen that Connell was taught very well by his mother Lorriane. These details also made Marianne feel that she is respected and worthy of love. of. That's why she said, "It's not like this with other people."
Therefore, the relationship experience between the male and female protagonists and their former partners cannot be understood and summarized by the simple reasons of "inappropriate" and "not enough love". We need to see and understand the reasons for each of their past relationship experiences, and feel the quality of this relationship through the problems that arise during their relationship, and the reasons why the male and female protagonists are so compatible.
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