MovieChat Forums > The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1997) Discussion > Disease (*spoilers*)

Disease (spoilers)

posted 13 years ago by Harepusholderen
3 replies | jump to latest

What disease did Arthur have? Is it mentioned in the book? As far as I know, there are no alcohol-induced diseases that cause you to bleed from your eyes (as he eventually did) :P

[–] randommovies2002 13 years ago

There is no "disease" mentioned in the novel. He fell from his horse, and due to his over-indulgent lifestyle (mostly drinking too much alcohol, but also eating a rich, unhealthy diet), was unable to recover from his injuries and then died.

I just re-read the ending. There is no mention of Arthur bleeding from his eyes (and I don't recall this in the adaptation, either). You can check it for yourself in this online text. His illness starts in chapter 47 and continues through chapter 49.
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/bronte/anne/b869t/chapter47.html

[–] edhel23 11 years ago

The bleeding from his eyes wasn't in the book, but for some reason itwas in the movie. No idea why the filmmakers did it.

The Billion Dollar Girl
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009K5DV6Q

[–] storm-the-dog 9 years ago

Haemolacria can cause tears to be tinted with blood but in his case it could only have occurred through an injury to part of the eye, which he didn't have.

I had the notion the director got carried away with the idea of showing him to be a monster/inhuman person and tears of blood would provide that. Alternatively, from TV Tropes, there's this -

"[It is] used to signify someone's death in a poetic and possibly even "beautiful" way, especially if the character is a tragic villain [my italics]. [snip] ...the aim is not necessarily to freak out the audience but to add a layer of sadness to a death scene."

So there. Take your pick.