The Theory of Everything 

      Before I started to write about this movie, I was searching and reading Stephen Hawking’s life story from Wikipedia. I would like to get to know more about him. Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He was also a writer, which many books were published. In 2021 his book, A Birth History of Time was published. The Theory of Everything talks about the time like what he has written in his book. Everyone has time in life, which has 24 hours a day and 365 days in a year and so did Stephen. He dedicated his life to scientific research. In his life, he won a lot of prizes and even was appointed a Companion of Honor in 1989. After reading his life story, I am tempted to ask myself how I manage my time. I would like to ask how you plan your time as well. Some like arranging a lot of parties and talking about how expensive the car was they bought. Some like spending time going shopping with friends often. Some like sleeping all day along after getting off work. I have never said it is wrong, but the question is how you manage your time in your whole life. What kind of memory you create? I often ask myself this question too. I have an answer. How about you?   

       However, the time in this movie was talking about his love story between him and his wife, Jane and how he devoted his whole life to do research as well as how he fought the disease with his wife. Jane didn’t look like a terribly strong person, but I have to say she was the greatest woman I have ever seen. She managed all family things well and also tended to the handicap husband for many years. I couldn’t imagine how she dealt with it.

Let’s begin their stories.

        The young beautiful girl, Jane took part in a New Year’s party, where Jane met her future husband, Stephen. She was attracted to him due to his charming wit. Soon, they were lost in Loveland. The following year, Stephen was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. However, Jane was still determined to marry him even if the doctor said Stephen only survived for two years. Marrying Jane gave Stephen energy to survive and fight this disease. Jane also knew marrying Stephen became potential changes lying ahead. Maybe it was her destiny. After a few years, Jane had two children. She needed to take care of her husband, and on top of that she still looked after her two little children. Thanks to Stephen’s disability, all housework and the responsibility of home were on Jane’s shoulder, which meant Stephen had more time to do his research. According to Wikipedia, Stephen also participated a lot of public charities because he was a famous person. Therefore, Jane still arranged a variety of things like flying to another city or taking him to engage in a lot of charities. However, as time went by, gradually, she felt exhausted. One day, on the ride home, she told Stephen that she needed to have a helper because it was not a normal family. The burden was too heavy for her to carry it anymore. In Jane’s mom’s eyes, she was quite worried about her mental issue, so she suggested she go to the church choir, where she met her second husband, Jonathan.

       Jonathan was a pianist of church choir. His wife died due to leukemia. With his wife passing away, he devoted his life to the church. However, he did still get quite lonely. One day, Jane invited him over. Ever since then, he had become a crucial role in Stephen’s family. After dinner, he was about to leave and he said, “I have no children and commitment. If there is anything I could do to service your family, I would consider it a privilege.” What a good man! For some years, Jonathan was Jane’s big helper and Jane’s pillar. It also lit Jane’s life and gave her hope. Gradually, she started to have a smile on her face. They had a picnic in the park and went to the beach to build a sandcastle, as well as played hide-and-seek on the playground together, which Stephen drove his wheelchair to find them. They were like a happy family. Nothing had changed until Jane had the third child. All family members started to doubt her if the third child was Stephen’s or not. When I watched this scene, I was also surprised that Jane could still be pregnant again. To be honest with you, I also doubted. However, I understand that people have different ways to satisfy their partners and so did Stephen. According to the description on the Wikipedia, even if Jonathan and Jane had feeling for each other, they didn’t want to ruin this family. Therefore, they decided to keep this relationship as Platonic love. This kind of rumor quite hurt both of them. After Jonathan overheard Jane’s mother-in-law questioning her about the third child. Jonathan was determined to step back from this family. Stephen’s father wanted Stephen to hire live-in nurse to help him. When everyone accused Jane of having an affair, only Stephen knew what Jane needed. Therefore, Stephen didn't blame her.

         As years went by, Stephen’s health became deteriorate. He was sent to the hospital and was on life-support machine. With this scene in the movie, I could see how strong Jane was. She told the doctor,” You have to bring him round from anesthetic. Even if you need to give him a tracheotomy, there is no question.” I have no choice to say that this man’s all achievement was from how Jane took care of him. If Jane gave up saving his life at that moment, he would not have had meaningful stories in the end.

          Jane hired a live-in nurse, Elaine to take care of him. In order to let Stephen could express and continue doing his research, Jane bought a wheelchair with a monitor, which Stephen could type words with passing the clicker. All words in the monitor could be converted into synthesized speech. With the nurse looked after Stephen every day. Soon, they were attracted to each other. They often went out together like a date. The situation made the relationship between Stephen and Jane and atmosphere at home quite nervous. There was nothing changed until one day. He told Jane he invited Elaine to take part in an occasion in America with him. All of a sudden, Jane knew everything. She was calm and said,” I have loved you and I did my best.” At this moment, both of them shed the tears. Watching this scene, I was thinking there were a lot of regretful things we were unable to do in this world. This is what life is. They prayed for each other and separated peacefully. Next day, Stephen moved out. After divorce, Jane went out for a walk and she walked into the church unconsciously. She sat on the chair silently to see Jonathan playing the piano.

           According to Wikipedia, after divorce, Stephen’s father and mother didn’t pretty understand him, so they seldom contacted with each other. Stephen married Elaine for 11 years and then they divorced in 2006. It is said Elaine abused him so that he was sent to hospital many times, but Stephen didn’t want to explain anything. He just said,” now I can live because of her. Please respect my personal life.” However, Jane and Jonathan lived a happy life. After divorce, Stephen started to contact Jane and his children and they became good friends until Stephen died in 2018. That’s the end of the story.

             This is a wonderful and extraordinary story. At the end of the movie, the scene spun back to the beginning when Jane walked into the party and met her future husband, Stephen. I like this scene best. I would like to ask if you could wind back the clock, then which point of time you would want to go back. If you had a time machine, then which point of time in life you would want to go and stay. I also asked myself this question. Although I had my fair share of bad memories in the past, I learned to face and leave them behind. My past does not define who I am now. Because of what I had experiences in the past, I become a better version of myself. Honestly, I am also tempted to ask Jane if she could wind back the clock, would she still want to take care of Stephen? It is hard to answer, isn’t it?