MovieChat Forums > Sharpe's Waterloo (2006) Discussion > Sharpe's options regarding his wife.

Sharpe's options regarding his wife.

posted 11 years ago by Lokisgodhi
3 replies | jump to latest

I've thought about what Sharpe could have done regarding his wife, Jane.

He could have sold her into slavery in the Ottoman empire. It was still legal during the time period to traffic in Caucasian slaves. In fact, they were still trading in Caucasian women illegally but without consequences during the first world war. A white aristocratic European women would have brought in serious money, several hundred pounds at least.

He also could have turned her back over to Sir Henry Simmerson. Doubtless Sir Henry missed his favorite home entertainment system and would have been glad to take her back.

Of course either would have damaged Sharpe's hero credentials.

[–] Klop_Gob 10 years ago

I like to think that Jane kills herself eventually, with poison or something.

"Slave. Place cock in arse."

[–] rogerneon 10 years ago

There is the possibility that he could have divorced her. I THINK at the time a divorce required an act of Parliament... difficult, but not impossible. This is one reason at least among the upper classes in England it wasn't unusual for men to have mistresses and women to have lovers. Wellington himself wasn't happily married, and the fact that he had a mistress was briefly mentioned in the argument over invitations to the ball.

[–] joegerardi (377) 6 years ago

Remember, though, in Sharpe's Waterloo, she writes that she is "with child." That puts her in quite the pickle: carrying the bastard child of a dead Lord, most money gone, she will be shunned by society; there's probably little left to her - even Simmerson wont't take her back with a bastard - so I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't end up a street whore. Rossingdale's family might take the child, but not her.

..Joe