The Stars Look Down

Family Unity

On being introduced to the Parry family in The Proud Valley the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The audience are made to feel at home as the family extend their hospitality to David. Mr Parry is in high spirits after the choir practice, Emlyn is too, having received his managers certificate and confirmed his engagement.

Although there would appear to be conflict in Mr and Mrs Parry’s disagreement over David living with them, the argument is trivialised by their daughter. She tells David that her mother is just ‘letting off steam’, the audience are given the impression that this is a frequent and unimportant occurrence. Mrs Parry promptly comes around to the idea and insists that David stays.

The actions of Mrs Parry’s young daughters further illustrate the unity within the Parry family. The relationship here is one of willing co-operation, Mrs Parry is able to delegate to her eldest daughter who in turn takes charge of her sisters. This daughter also lies to shield her mother from the debt collector. Emlyn lives at home throughout the film making the Parrys very much a family unit. When Mr Parry is dying his last thoughts and words are concerned with his wife. After Mr Parry is killed David symbolically adopts the patriarchal role. He declares his intention to stay because of feelings of responsibility toward the family, he even refers to Mrs Parry as ‘mam’ and calls Emlyn ‘son’. David’s willingness to stay illustrates the warmth of the household and symbolically the family unit is complete once again.