Sunday, March 25, 2012
suicide is the answer..?
After reading Bobbie Ann Mason's "Shiloh," I honestly didn't know what to make of the ending. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, I was expecting a happy reunion and when Norma Jean "reached the bluff" and "was looking out over the Tennessee River" (16) waving her arms, I just thought not another one. Why is it that the women in The Awakening, “No Name Woman”,and “Shiloh” all resort to the same thing to escape their unhappiness? Yes, I realize it is the authors choosing these characters fates but why does that seem to be the go to way to end the story? Do the authors think by making their females characters kill themselves itshows their strength and makes them a martyr? If Edna chose life and chose happiness with Robert instead of drowning herself in the ocean, it would have made her a lot stronger and I would have respected her as a character that much more instead of giving up. The same goes for the narrator’s aunt in “No Name Woman”. Even though the situation was far from ideal and she would have been shunned, I think her choosing to keep the baby and love the baby would have been the stronger decision to make instead of proving a point and throwing herself down the well. I feel the same about Norma Jean. She had just shown her courage by telling Leroy, “I want to leave you,” (14) she still runs to the end of the bluff and we can only assume what happens and I think she jumped to escape her reality like the other women we’ve read and I think the endings would have been stronger and proved more of a point if the authors would have kept their characters alive.
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I agree that these characters had many more options laid before them, but did the authors? Perhaps if the authors had written the stories differently, we wouldn't be familiar with these text today because they wouldn't stand out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you, Brittany and Stephanie in different ways. I think Stephanie is right by asking if the authors had any more options than what they wrote. If the authors wrote the story or novel differently than how they all ready are written, I do not think that we would know the texts today.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of the people who don't think that Norma Jean committed suicide. I think the ending was left ambiguous for a reason, but I don't believe Norma Jean killed herself. She has been working so hard to gain her own sense of self-worth and independence, to find out what kind of life she can obtain on her own, and killing herself just doesn't fit that idea for me. Although if Norma Jean did commit suicide, it's impact definitely leaves a bold statement for both the character and the writer.
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to think Norma Jean committed suicide at first either because she did have so much going on and was making positive changes in her life but so did Edna. While her choices may have been less positive, she was still making her life better and happier for herself which is why I think Norma Jean took suicide as her way out because she couldn't handle the pressure, much like Edna.
ReplyDeleteI do agree though that the texts probably wouldn't be as well known as they are or have made such an impact if the endings were different but still, that's the point of a blog isn't it? To contribute different thoughts and ideas that others may not see.
ReplyDeleteI just don't read this as a suicide. I just don't see it.
ReplyDeleteShe's moving on without him--towards life and strength (unlike Edna).
ReplyDelete