Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
When I called Helen saintly, I was being sarcastic. She's sanctimonious. She's generally convinced of her moral superiority--drugging her son to make him avoid alcohol is certainly the most glaring example of how rigid and extreme she is in service to what she believes is proper behavior. The way she sails in to nurse her miserable husband seems to be about her perceived duty and her self-image as a "good wife" rather than much feeling for Arthur himself.
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Yes, she’s a slave to correct behaviour, and sometimes uses it punitively as well. When Gilbert visited her after the death of Arthur, she was angry, so made him pass several correctness tests before she’d acknowledge her own feelings. Then after all their waiting, she instantly declared they’d need to wait another year to marry, etc. She isn’t what we’d think of as being a liberated person today.
I admired Helen’s strength and her intelligence. But I wouldn’t want to be on intimate terms with her. There would be too much angst and examination, passive aggression and guilt trips to ever feel comfortable.