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Edwina's motives

posted 15 years ago by Pearl_Jade
2 replies | jump to latest

After McBurney's drunken rage, Edwina goes to his room and tells him she loves him. Later on, they announce that they will be going away together to get married; they will depart the school for good the next day.

Did Edwina seduce McBurney into eloping as a ruse to lead him away from the school because she saw how dangerous he was becoming? In this case, she sacrificed her own bright career (a partnership, no less) to ensure the safety of the other women there.

Or were her motives entirely self-serving? She truly loved him, she wanted a husband, and she wanted him for herself. (Or, if she didn't truly love him, she was at least "in lust" with him?)

What do you think? Debate.

[–] gnolti 15 years ago

That's a good question. My reaction has always been that Edwina was mentally and/or emotionally unstable to begin with -- witness, the "accident" with McBurney in the stairwell. So my bet would be that her decision to elope with McB was motivated purely by hormones and incipient madness. In fact, had she actually managed to get away with him, I suspect she would have killed him herself at some point. She was possessive, and getting him out of the hands of the other women would have been essential.

There, daddy, do I get a gold star?

[–] Cultfilmfeverforever 14 years ago

I believe she was emotionally unstable, but also deeply repressed. The more deeply repressed you are, the more emotionally unhinged you become (I know!). She was in love with the thought of being in love with him. She knew he was trouble, but she was desperate and dreamily idealistic. He was her prince who had awakened her in the castle. Very tragic note, that, but truly pitch perfect in this film.