/* this is the MainFrame class, notice how "this" is passed to the new controller */

public class MainFrame extends JFrame {

    public MenuBarView menuBar;
    public JFileChooser fileChooser = new JFileChooser();

    public MainFrame() {
        super();
        setTitle("Card Suite");
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        MenuBarController menuBarController = new MenuBarController(this);

/* this is the controller, and it fails to compile, saying frame.fileChooser does not exist */

public class MenuBarController {

    private JFrame frame;

    public MenuBarModel model = new MenuBarModel();
    public MenuBarView view = new MenuBarView(model);

    public MenuBarController(JFrame frame) {
        System.out.println(frame.fileChooser);