Sunday, February 15, 2009
Edgar Sawtelle, Question #5: The End
What do you think happens to Trudy after the end of the story? Is she dead? Insane? What about Glen?
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5 comments:
I actually think that it's likely that they both would perish in the fire. I know he was dragging her away from the flames, but their property was far enough out, and the fire horrendous enough, that it wouldn't be impossible for it to engulf the entire property. Certainly he was in no condition to carry her far, and her mind was gone completely. That's what I would like to have happen to them. Neither of them have anything to live for, anyway.
I'm working without a copy of the book, so please bear with me: What about that part after the stillbirth when she had a choice to succumb to the darkness, or keep on living? It felt like she was at the same precipice at the end, and chose not to fight it. But I don't know if she died then and there or if it just meant she fled the scene, mentally. I wonder if the psyche is so powerful that emotional trauma could actually kill someone in a direct way, rather than over time.
After reviewing Hamlet just now (via Wikipedia, I mean), Trudy reminded me of Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend who goes insane after her own trauma: Hamlet kills her father by mistake. But then I read reviews that helpfully pointed out that Trudy is short for Gertrude, mother of Hamlet. (Whoops.) Said reviews also connect Almondine to Ophelia, which just made my eyes bug out of my head. Um, Almondine is a DOG, m'kay?
This reading guide says that other dogs represent other characters (Forte = Fortinbras, etc.), too. This Hamlet stuff is making me feel like an ignoramus, on top of not really helping me unpack the novel. Does it make more sense to you?
Shoot, the link's not showing up: reading guide at http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/a-totally-unauthorized-reading-group-guide-to-the-story-of-edgar-sawtelle-with-a-key-to-hamlet-characters-represented-in-the-novel/ .
Ooh, I had totally forgotten about her having to choose at the beginning - of course! That makes a lot more sense to me now.
I can see Almondine as Ophelia. She is definitely the wronged love, that's for sure. She was written enough like a human that the cross-species-ness of it doesn't bother me.
I hadn't thought about Trudy's end. Hmmm. And ties to Hamlet... I haven't read that one in decades. Maybe a revisit is in order.
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