I'm re-reading the book now, and am not that far along, but my recollection is that the two women did love each other, but not physically. Blanche was far more committed to the idea of them as a couple, hence the suicide, when she saw Christabel slipping away from her and their happy home.
And yes, the suicide would leave Christabel with guilt.
While I believe it is possible to love deeply without it being sexual, and also possible to love more than one person in different ways, in the Victorian era, few were able to reconcile the latter, although the former was quite prevalent.
The scholarly "establishment" of Christabel's status as a lesbian is, I believe, a little dig at the feminist school of revisionist literary criticism...all tied up with Foucault and Derrida and post-moderism, stuff that I was studying at the same time period, 1986, in which the novel was set.
In the '80s world of literary studies, it was the norm to figure every woman writer who had any significant friendship with another woman was in a lesbian relationship.
"If I'm going to wear a dress, I want something with some slink." - Zoe, Firefly
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divergirlie
17 years ago
In the book it is clear they were lovers. Check out the bit where they read Blanch Glover's journal, where she describes they had a fight, and then that after that they make up and were together 'in our special way' I believe are the words used. And also the first time Ash takes Christabel to bed in Yorkshire, the book shows you his thoughts. She was an experienced lover, but there is blood on the sheets in the morning. He wonders where she's gained her knowledge, then it occurs to him and he knows he will never be able to ask.
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AshTheMovieGeek
17 years ago
How big is the role of Blanche?
I like Lena Headey, so I was just wondering.
"I rule!" -Lester Burham
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JanusGates
16 years ago
Not that big, sadly. I like Lena Headey too and although I first watched the movie for itself, I had to watch it again to pay a better attention to the parts with Lena. They're not very long and, in fairness, it is understandable because she is not a very important character in the movie. I don't know if there's a big difference in the book, I haven't read it yet, but I'm curious because I thought the character was interesting. And Lena was very good, as always!
Janus
"The lily means: I dare you to love me"
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bron-tay
12 years ago
Exactly. Alas for Blanche, Christabel was bisexual, not 100% lesbian.
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Molly-31
11 years ago
"Blanche was far more committed to the idea of them as a couple, hence the suicide, when she saw Christabel slipping away from her and their happy home."
It's clearly indicated in the movie but never explicitly said -- but it is explicit in the book -- that Blanche about the same class as Christabel but her family had no money and she'd had to be a governess. It's very hard to convey the sheer hell of being a governess, for an intelligent unmarried woman at that time. It paid peanuts, it was teaching/babysitting with sewing on the side, and was almost like slavery. You didn't have a minute to yourself to do anything creative. They were servants, or worse, non-persons. Charlotte Bronte describes it very well in her personal writings and especially in Jane Eyre.
Christabel saved her from it when they fell in love and moved in together. The money was all Christabel's because Blanche didn't have any. Blanche was still a dependent even though it was a love relationship. She planned to sell her paintings to make an equal contribution.
Then Christabel has her fling with Ash and Blanche knows it's over. Even if Christabel came back, things would never be the same. She can't stand the idea of being alone in the world, but much worse, having to go back to being a governess or some other menial position. That's why she kills herself.
You've got me?! Who's got you?!
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