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Even at ten years old, Murph demonstrates remarkable intelligence, curiosity, and a deep fascination with science. She’s persistent and bold, often challenging adults—especially when their explanations clash with what she observes to be true. Early in the film, she gets into trouble at school for arguing with her teacher about the Apollo moon landings. Her teacher insists the landings were faked to bankrupt the Soviet Union during the Cold War; Murph fiercely disagrees, insisting they were real. When Cooper is called in for a meeting, he sides with Murph, telling the school that the official story is propaganda. He encourages her to stand firm in her beliefs and to think critically, a lesson she takes to heart. But Cooper’s decision to leave on NASA’s Endurance mission devastates her. Murph sees his departure not as a sacrifice, but as a betrayal—and she refuses to say goodbye. Though Cooper promises to return, she’s too angry to listen, and the two part in tears. His choice creates not only a physical gulf between them, but a lasting emotional one—the wound that defines their relationship for much of the film. 

As an adult, Murph becomes increasingly embittered and unforgiving toward Cooper; she accuses him of leaving her to “starve or suffocate” when he chose to lead the Endurance mission. Yet despite the anger she clings to, Murph emerges as one of the most accomplished scientists at the new NASA. She devotes her life to the same mission her father did, working under Professor Brand in pursuit of a solution to make Plan A viable. Her sense of purpose is shaped both by the trauma of surviving on a dying Earth and by the unresolved loss of her father. She believes that if she can make his mission succeed, then he didn’t leave her for nothing. In many ways, Murph needs to make meaning of Cooper’s departure, and dedicating herself to his cause is the only way she knows how. When she finally uncovers the truth about Plan A—that Professor Brand never truly believed it would work—she feels once again betrayed, this time by another father figure she trusted. 

Murph’s relationship with her brother Tom is equally complex and painful. Tom stays on the family farm, holding fast to the idea of carrying on their father’s legacy. He resists Murph’s efforts to convince him that Earth is no longer sustainable and that staying on the farm puts his family at risk. Their conflict reflects two opposing responses to loss: while Murph turns to science and truth in an attempt to protect their future, Tom retreats into denial, risking everything. Murph reaches a turning point when she deciphers the data Cooper transmits from inside the tesseract. Back in her childhood bedroom, she recognizes the Morse code intervals coming from the watch Cooper left her—revealing the missing component in the equation for Plan A. This realization allows her to complete the work Professor Brand left unfinished. She races through NASA’s facility shouting “Eureka!” not just in scientific triumph, but in emotional revelation. In that moment, Murph finally understands that neither Cooper nor Professor Brand abandoned her out of cowardice or indifference—they left in the hope that she would one day forgive them and succeed where they could not. 

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