Do Jay and Gloria get divorced

In Modern Family, Jay Pritchett, patriarch of the Pritchett family, is an older, wealthy businessman who is married to Gloria Delgado Pritchett, a much younger Latina woman. Both Jay and Gloria have been previously married and divorced, and both have children from their respective previous marriages. While Gloria’s son Manny is only a child (he is 11 years old in Season One), Jay’s children are fully grown adults with families of their own, and are roughly the same age as Gloria. These factors result in a variety of different power relations between characters in the show that are centralized around Jay and Gloria’s marriage.

In the show’s pilot episode, Jay and Gloria are introduced as a couple that have been married for six months. It is established that Jay is a wealthy businessman who has been previously married, while Gloria assumes the role of homemaker. This relationship immediately perpetuates traditional gender roles, in that “husbands are paid in employment to support their families financially, while wives are engaged in the unpaid labour of childcare and domestic chores” (Milestone & Meyer 99-100). As Jay is the patriarch and breadwinner of the family, this places him in the position of power in the relationship. While not being incredibly problematic, these gender roles between Jay and Gloria do continue to represent men and women in “traditional” roles, as “men are associated with the public domain and the world of work, women are associated with the private space of the domestic” (Milestone & Meyer 99).

Jay’s character falls into the representation of hegemonic masculinity as he is portrayed as “‘naturally’ rational, efficient and intelligent” (Milestone & Meyer 19), which are common characteristics of hegemonic masculinity. Gloria, on the other hand, is partially represented with emphasized femininity, a woman who “is predisposed to looking after men and children” (Milestone & Meyer 20), something that is made clear in Jay and Gloria’s mockumentary interview at the beginning of the pilot. She possesses other hegemonic feminine qualities, such as being “irrational, driven by emotions rather than reason, and not as cognitive or technically competent as men” (20). This therefore further perpetuates the concept of social constructionism, in that the approach that “there is an essence to being female or male which … creates a binary opposition between males and females” (Baba, PDF).

However, one characteristic of emphasized femininity that Gloria subverts is though her assertiveness. Whereas women are generally believed to be peaceful or more submissive, Gloria is seen as a very assertive woman in the pilot episode, therefore subverting the femininity that is expected of her. This, however, is a mildly problematic representation of Gloria as a Latina woman, as it introduces the concept of racialization in her character, as many Latina women tend to be seen as loud and aggressive, two characteristics which Gloria certainly embodies. The racialization of Gloria’s character is primarily seen through her representation as a loud, Latina woman with a thick accent. It is also represented, however, through her status that many characters see as being a “trophy wife” to Jay. This is introduced in Episode 5 of Season One, where it is revealed that Claire, Jay’s daughter, believes that Gloria is a “gold digger” wife who only wants Jay for his money. Gloria’s portrayal as a trophy wife shows an intersection of race and gender in this particular context, as it can be interpreted as an example of romanticizing the exotic. However, Jay and Gloria’s relationship grows as the show progresses and the two are represented as a married couple that are truly in love despite their differences.

Not only are both Jay and Gloria represented in traditional gender roles that put Jay in a position of power in their relationship, but they are also affected by the noticeable age gap between the two. Jay is a father of two and a grandfather, his oldest grandchild being 15 years old. Claire and Mitchell, his two children are both married – Claire has a husband and three children while Mitchell and his partner Cam have an adopted daughter. Gloria is roughly the same age as Claire and Mitchell, and her son Manny is in the same grade as Claire’s son Luke. The age gap between Jay and Gloria is a constant topic of discussion and comedy in the show, and establishes another power relation between the two. The earliest instance is in the pilot, where a parent on Manny’s soccer team mistakes Jay as being Gloria’s father while attempting to flirt with her. This prompts an immediate response from Jay, who makes it clear that he and Gloria are married. From an intersectional standpoint, the response from Jay establishes a power relation in terms of both age and gender. Since Jay is not only the patriarch but also very much older than Gloria, he further assumes the position of power in their marriage. This power relation caused by age and gender is problematic because it further perpetuates the male-dominated ideals of relationships between men and women, where women are expected to be submissive and compliant. It is also an example of ageism, the discrimination or prejudice of someone based on their age. Because of her marriage with Jay, Gloria becomes the subject of ageism in many different cases, particularly with Jay’s daughter Claire. Claire is not thrilled about her father’s new wife being the same age as her, causing an internal power struggle between Claire and Gloria as a result of Gloria’s age. This power struggle is exemplified through the aforementioned belief held by Claire that Gloria is a gold digger, and assumption that is made by Claire mainly due to Gloria’s age (and also partially her race). Despite these power struggles being somewhat problematic, they are resolved in the show as Claire apologizes to Gloria for having initially believed this.

All in all, the different representations of Jay and Gloria’s marriage are sometimes problematic for the sake of comedy, but do in many situations also help viewers learn about the show’s main subject – the modern day family and how it can be different from what people see as the norm.

What happened to Jay and Gloria in Modern Family?

Does Gloria stay with Jay?

Does Jay get divorced in Modern Family?

How many kids does Gloria and Jay have?