" Is the mother "trying" to get her daughter married? " Most definitely not, at least not in the novella or musical. She actively tries to keep the young lovers apart, especially in the musical (I have never seen the movie). She attempts to quash the budding relationship from its very first spark . When she sees how infatuated they truly are, she takes Clara away to Rome, hoping she'll forget Fabrizio, but finally relents, seeing how truly unhappy her daughter is without him.
" Margaret still doesn't have an open discussion with Fabrizio and his family about Clara's condition though. You'd think she might be more concerned about whether they would look after Clara properly once they got to know her situation better. (And were marriage vs ending the relationship really the only options? Why not invite Fabrizio to stay with them in the US for a few months or whatever!" Margaret does try, several times, to have an open discussion, admittedly not very hard. Considering the times and the vast differences in the cultures the piece is set in, once Margaret has made up her mind not to stand in the way of the marriage that every one else wants, she knows it must happen before her estranged husband arrives, as he will put a stop to the proceedings.
Once she is married on foreign soil, there will be little Clara's father can do after the fact.
Margaret is seeing her daughter as a woman for the first time - sees that Frabrizio does have a special bond with her (he is shown to be capable of calming Clara in ways that previously only her mother could). Margaret sees that this might be good and right, and possibly might be Clara's only chance at happiness.
No, she does not go to Italy trying to marry her daughter off.
Just a taste of the glorious music from the
Tonys Light in the Piazza
