Do you think she still would've returned to Brooklyn if nobody had said anything? In a way, I almost feel like she was shamed into returning. Clearly that older woman was going to tell everyone.
Do you think she still would've returned to America?
-Who is it?
-It's Grandpa. And it sounds like he's gotten into the horseradish again.
Let's talk first about the script writer's intent. This is not an open-ended story, it can't just go anywhere. It was always going to involve her returning to Brooklyn, that is what the book and the script wanted her to do, and had her do. So the only thing we can discuss is how the script handled it, did it seem realistic or not? If not then what other script choices would have made it more realistic.
To me having her stay in Ireland would have been a poor choice, because it would not involve any growth on her part. Go to Brooklyn, begin a new life, meet a nice guy, marry him quickly, then go back home and decide to stay? No, that would not have made a very interesting story, to tell the trials and tribulations of a typical young woman needing to go abroad in the 1950s to make something of herself.
All the story did when she went back to Ireland was tempt her into wondering if she made the right choices, then having her realize that she did.
..*.. TxMike ..*..
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes not.
I don't think she would have committed bigamy, if that's what you mean.
Let's try a few more "What if...?" scenarios:
What if she decided to get an annulment of her marriage to Tony? They weren't married in the church, after all, so the church didn't even recognize her marriage. But there's still the problem of Jim feeling that she had betrayed him, plus the scandal of her "dating" Jim while married to Tony. Plus it was scandalous that she married Tony in a civil ceremony. Too many obstacles there. The ugly side of her village would have shown itself, and she would have remembered what she liked better about NY over Ireland.
What if she had never married Tony in the first place? WHat if she had been free to marry Jim? I still think the ugly side of village life would have presented itself to her, eventually, and she would have realized she wasn't immune to it. Jim's crowd only appeared to be immune to gossip and the rest of the downsides to living in such a confined, parochial setting. But they weren't. She would have seen through it eventually, after her "honeymoon period" of her return to Ireland was over.
I believe the reasons why she left were still important, and eventually she would have realized that she couldn't go back to living that way, preferring the attitude she felt in Brooklyn.
I understand your points but apart of me disagrees-
Had she never married Tony, I feel like she would've been welcomed back warmly. She seemed to be well liked and upon returning, more confident. Maybe people would've gossiped like you said, but people gossip anyway. Doesn't really matter where you are. However, I understand what Tony represents. And that's moving on to better things. Brooklyn had more opportunities than a small town in Ireland, and if Tony purchased land in Long Island, wouldn't that be worth a fortune today?
Anyway, I see what your saying. And I definitely think her marriage would've been a scandal. Whether Jim would get over it or not is debatable, and we'll never know. For a moment I thought she was going to write Tony & ask him for an annulment. Or to divorce her quietly. But she never did, so perhaps she was destined to return.
-Who is it?
-It's Grandpa. And it sounds like he's gotten into the horseradish again.
Sandy writes, "...so perhaps she was destined to return. "
Ya think?
..*.. TxMike ..*..
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes not.