Student Research Report sample f

Female Suicide in Literature: An Issue of Control

            One of the most common deaths a literary character can suffer is suicide. Suicide has played a role in literature from the classics to the modern period. Suicide is a popular theme because it is fascinating. In his novel, The Savage God, A. Alvarez states that “in literature and philosophy [suicide] passes more or less without comment and certainly without blame” (76). Polite society likes to ignore that it exists, but it is very common. The most recent statistic released by the World Health Organization states that out of 100,000 people 17.4 men and 4.1 women committed suicide in the United States (May 2003). Suicide is also a popular theme because the characters that commit it are passionate, either about the act itself or about their reason for doing it. Male characters in literature usually commit suicide to punish themselves. This is the case in Othello and Julius Caesar. Women in literature use suicide as statement, or means of escape from a world that is no longer kind to them. Their reasons run deeper than males and therefore add depth to their characters. The suicides of Antigone, Emma Bovary, and Jessie from ‘night Mother were all committed for different reasons during different time periods, but each of their suicides include the common element of control that ties their acts together.

            Columbia Encyclopedia provides an extensive definition of suicide and points out that suicide is “the deliberate taking of one’s own life. Suicide may be compulsory, usually as an alternative to death at the hands of others, or it may be committed for personal motives. Depending on the time and place, it may be regarded as a heroic deed or condemned by religious and civil authorities.” (2004). Of the three characters, Antigone’s suicide is the only one that could be considered heroic. Her suicide acted as an act of protest to Creon’s law. She felt she had no other alternative but to end her life. Her suicide may be considered compulsory because she believed Creon was going to kill her any way. By hanging herself, she dealt with her fate on her own terms. She took control of the situation and reacted in the most appropriate manner for her. Antigone’s life up until her death had been in the hands of others. Her father’s action dictated most of her life. She was bound to his actions; yet her actions show that she was restless and anxious to live her own life by her own rules. By defying Creon, she was reclaiming her own identity.   

            Identity also played a large role in the suicide of Emma Bovary, from Gustave Flaubert’s novel Madame Bovary. Emma spent much of her adult life living in a fantasy world with an identity that was not her own. Emma’s dreams were much larger than her reality. Her inability to face her reality led to her death. There are also issues of control in Madame Bovary. Before committing suicide, Emma feels she has no control over life. Every avenue she has used to escape has now been closed to her. Her extramarital relationships have ended, so she must find a way to gain control of her life. She does so by poisoning herself. Alvarez asserts, “because it threw a sharp, narrow, intensely dramatic light on life at its extreme moments, suicide became a preoccupation of certain kinds of post-Romantic writers (236). Rudolph Binion shares his opinion of Emma’s situation in his article Fiction as social fantasy: Europe’s domestic crisis of 1879-1914, explaining, “Romantism had already mocked bourgeois domestic properties alongside of its cult of the simple, homey virtues. Thereafter, from Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary…the novel showed an increasing sympathy for mismated women victimized by the moral premium placed on marriage and motherhood.” (681). Emma’s problems stem from her dissatisfaction with her role as wife and mother. She does not identify herself as either and does her best to forget that she has a husband and a child. When she cannot run from them any longer she takes her life.

            While Emma becomes burdened by 19^th century life, Jessie becomes burdened by 20^th century life. Jessie is not in denial of her reality, like Emma, she just is not satisfied with it. In ‘night Mother, the audience gets a view into a more realistic version of suicide. Jessie is tortured by real problems in the real world and the actions she takes mimic those of a real person contemplating suicide. A website devoted to helping those who are considering suicide or those who know someone contemplating suicide offers warning signs to be aware of. Jessie’s behavior before killing herself shows some of these signs. A person contemplating suicide may experience an elevated mood just before committing the act, they may make final arrangements for themselves and loved ones, they also may joke about killing themselves (Lofgren 1992). Jessie moves through all of these in the play. The anatomy of a modern suicide is shown through the actions of Jessie. The common theme of control is also seen in ‘night Mother. Because of her illness, Jessie has never been in control of her body. Suicide is her chance to change that. She can finally gain control of a life that has been out of her hands since she was a little girl.

            While the stories of these women span centuries, each is relevant to today. We all yearn for control in our lives. We all want to be a driving force in our own lives. This is why the tales of these women are universal. Each one of their stories can relate to the reader and empower them to take control of their lives before reaching the bottom. . . .

Bibliography

Alvarez, A. The Savage God: A Study of Suicide. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1990.

Binion, Rudolph. “Fiction as social fantasy: Europe’s domestic crisis of 1879-1914.” Journal of Social History 27.4 (1994): 679-700.

Columbia Encyclopedia. “Suicide”. 2004.

Lofgren, Elizabeth. “What to do if someone you know becomes suicidal.” Minnesota Depressive and Manic-Depressive Newsletter. March 1992.

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