Yousweartotellthetruthandnothingbutthetruth?Ido.Now,Mrs.Kramer,wouldyoutellthecourthowlongyouweremarried?Eightyears.Andwouldyoudescribethoseyearsashappy?Thefirsttwo,yes.Butafterthatitbecameincreasinglydifficult.Mrs.Kramer,didyouholdajobbeforeyouweremarried?Yes,Idid.WhenIfirstgotoutofSmith......lworkedintheartdepartmentofMademoisellemagazineforyears.Didyoucontinuetoworkafteryouweremarried?No.Ididnot.Didyouwishto?Yes,buteverytimeItalkedtoTed--Tomyex-husbandaboutit,hewouldn'tlisten.Herefusedtodiscussitinanyseriousway.HesaidthatIprobablycouldn'tgetajob...thatwouldpayenoughtohireababysitter.Tellme,areyouemployedatthepresenttime?I'masportsweardesignerhereinNewYork.Andwhatisyourpresentsalary?Imake$31,000ayear.Mrs.Kramer,doyouloveyourchild?Yes,Ido,verymuch.Andyetyouchoosetoleavehim.Yes.Duringthelastfiveyearsofourmarriage......lwasbecomingmoreandmoreunhappy.Moreandmoretroubled.AndIreallyneededsomebodytohelpme....butwhenIturnedtoTed,hejust......wasn'tthereforme.Sowebecamemoreisolatedfromoneanother......moreandmoreseparate.Hewasveryinvolvedinhiscareer.Andbecauseofhisattitudetowardsmyfears......andhisinabilitytodealwithmyfeelings......lhadcometohavealmostnoself-esteem.IwasscaredandIwasveryunhappy.InmymindIhadnochoicebuttoleave.AtthetimeIleft,Ifeltthattherewassomethingwrongwithme......andthatmysonwouldbebetteroffwithoutme.AnditwasonlyafterIgottoCaliforniathatIrealized......aftergettingintotherapy,thatIwasn'taterribleperson.AndjustbecauseIneededsomekindofcreativeoremotionaloutlet......otherthanmychild,thatdidn'tmakemeunfit.IwouldliketosubmitinevidenceareportbyMrs.Kramer'stherapist......Dr.EleanorFreedman.Objection,YourHonour.Thereportisirrelevantandnotbindingontherespondent.Overruled.Canyoutellthecourtwhyyouareaskingforcustody?Becausehe'smychild...andbecauseIlovehim.IknowIleftmyson.Iknowthatthat'saterriblethingtodo.Believeme,Ihavetolivewiththateverydayofmylife.Butinordertoleavehim...lhadtobelieveitwastheonlythingIcoulddo...andthatitwasthebestthingforhim.Iwasincapableoffunctioninginthathome.AndIdidn'tknowwhatthealternativewas...soIthoughtitwasnotbestthatItakehimwithme.However,Ihavesincegottensomehelp...andIhaveworkedvery,veryhardtobecomeawholehumanbeing.Idon'tthinkIshouldbepunishedforthat.Idon'tthinkmylittleboyshouldbepunished.Billy'sonly7yearsold.Heneedsme.I'mnotsayinghedoesn'tneedhisfather...butIreallybelieveheneedsmemore.Iwashismommyforfiveandahalfyears...andTedtookoverthatrolefor18months.ButIdon'tknowhowanybodycanpossiblybelievethatIhavelessofastakeinmotheringthatlittleboy...thanMr.Kramerdoes.I'mhismother.I'mhismother.Thankyou,Mrs.Kramer.Ihavenofurtherquestions.Nowthen,Mrs.Kramer....yousaythatyouweremarriedforeightyears,isthatcorrect?yesInallthattimedidyourhusbandeverstrikeyouorphysicallyabuseyou?No.Didheeverstrikeorphysicallyabusehischildinanyway?NoWouldyoudescribeyourhusbandasanalcoholic?NoAheavydrinker?NoWasheunfaithful?NoDidheeverfailtoprovideforyouinanyway?NoIcancertainlyseewhyyoulefthim.Objection.HowlongdoyouplantoliveinNewYork,Mrs.Kramer?Permanently.Howmanyboyfriendshaveyouhad,permanently?Objectionongroundsofvagueness.I'llallowit.Idon'trecall.Morethanthree,lessthan33,permanently?-Objection.-Overruled.Thewitnesswillanswer,please.Somewhereinbetween.Doyouhavealovernow?YourHonour,Iwouldrequestadirectanswertoadirectquestion.Doesshehavealover?I'llallowthat.Thewitnesswillanswer,please.Yes,I'mseeingsomeonenow.Isthat...permanent?Idon'tknow.Wedon'tknowwhenyousaypermanently......ifyouplantoliveinNewYork,orkeepyourchild,forthatmatter...sinceyou'veneverdoneanythingthatcouldberegardedaspermanent.Objection.Irequestthecounselbepreventedfromharassingthewitness.Sustained.I'llputitanotherway,counsellor.Whatwasthelongestpersonalrelationshipinyourlife...utsideofparentsorgirlfriends?Isupposethatwouldbemychild.Whomyou'veseentwiceinayear.Mrs.Kramer,yourex-husband....wasn'thethelongestpersonalrelationshipinyourlife?点头Wouldyouspeakup?Icouldn'thearyou.Yes.Howlongwasthat?Weweremarriedayearbeforethebaby...andsevenyearsafter.Soyouwereafailureatthemostimportantrelationshipinyourlife.-Objection.-Overruled.Thewitness'sopiniononthisisrelevant.Iwasnotafailure.Whatdoyoucallit,asuccess?Themarriageendedindivorce.Iconsideritlessmyfailurethanhis.Congratulations.You'vejustrewrittenmatrimoniallaw.Youwerebothdivorced.Objection!YourHonour,Iwouldliketoaskwhatthismodelofstability...andrespectabilityhaseversucceededat.Wereyouafailureattheonemostimportantrelationshipinyourlife?Itdidnotsucceed.-Notit,Mrs.Kramer,you.Wereyouafailureattheonemostimportantrelationshipinyourlife?Wereyou?!No.Isthatayes,Mrs.Kramer?点头Nofurtherquestions.
