After the Wedding - Jess N

There were many moral negotiations made in After the Wedding, not only by Jorgen and Jacob, but by the other family members as well. Jorgen's and Jacob's were of course of the greatest consequence in the film: Jorgen must make the decision to give his family up to another man so they can be taken care of after his death, which is no easy decision for any man, I'm sure. In making this decision, he not only brings Jacob back into Helene's life and into Anna's life where he must share his family with another man, at least until he passes, he brings Jacob away from Pramod, who he looks at as a son. Of course, Jorgen doesn't really seem to care about Jacob's ties to India or the school, but only about his own family and well-being which might stem from his wealthy business attitude where only him and those of concern to him matter.

Jacob must make moral negotiations between being back together with Helene and his newly discovered daughter, Anna, or going back to India to continue with the school and being with Pramod. Jorgen ultimately seems to help him make this decision by only offering the money for the school on the terms that Jacob stays in Denmarck, which he does, and that seems to be the best idea for everyone....he can take care of the family and also have the funds to keep the school running and provide Pramod with all the things he needs as a child. He also now has the money to visit India whenever which makes the split with Pramod easier.

I feel like Pramod represented the connection between Developed and Developing at the end when he tells Jacob that he would rather stay in India then go live in Denmarck with him because why would he want to go live with a bunch of people Jacob hates when he has new toys (soccer goals) and food being prepared for him right there in India? Pramod doesn't need a completely developed country to be happy in life; the new beginnings in India are plenty for him.

Jorgen and Jacob represent the connection between East and West and philanthropist and receiver of aid as Jacob must return to Denmarck on Jorgen's demand. This represents the power that the West and the philanthropist hold over the East and the reciever of aid. Jorgen runs the show and makes the rules and Jacob must abide by them to receive the aid and keep the school running for the children in India. Jacob smiles in the end because he has brought these together, as he is now part of the West and the East: living in the West, yet still helping out the East financially now; and he has also become the philanthropist and the receiver of aid: he received a sum of $12 million that has made him a philanthropist, able to support and continue his school in India. His life seems to be good and have meaning now, especially now that he knows Pramod is happy and doing fine in India and he has a good relationship with the daughter he never knew he had. His moral stuggles are over it seems, at least for now.