She is not as carefree and unburdened as Sarah of today, who goes back and forth between her two suitors while seeming indebted to neither of them. However, Sarah is almost androgynous at times, with her less typically feminine dress and smoking; with her refusal to conform to society's expectations and settle down with either boy, she emerges as the perfect modern woman. But this distinction truly belongs to Marianne; early in the film, Marianne relies on Isak to get to Lund and is literally a supporting character, a passenger, in their transport there. Suddenly, Marianne begins to be the driver, while Isak gets lost in his memories; she's the one who throws the bickering couple out of the car. She chose her path: keep the child, whatever the repercussions of this decision on her marriage. In the end, Evald reluctantly accepts the child in an effort to stay with Marianne. This does not necessarily constitute a happy ending for the couple; their continued union, in fact, seems quite temporary. However, Marianne's relationship with Isak has improved considerably; as he accepts the mistakes of his past, she is able to recognize his true contrition and forgive him for the way he treated her son, and by extension,