Ending?


Maybe it should have been obvious, but I was a little confused about the reasons for the double suicides in the end... did they feel that they had been had and they were going to be found guilty of Cami's murder because of what the mother had written on the floor, or did they just feel so overwhelmed with guilt from the murder and disappointment in each other that they decided it was time to end it? Or, were they really just intending to kill each other and when they saw the other had a murder weapon decided to just do it willingly? Perhaps it was a combination of everything. Just a little confused and open to other's insights!

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All solid theories/points. I really think it was a combination of all of that. The crazy thing is, how justified did the mother feel after all of this.. besides, who will take care of her now.

I really did feel sorry for the mother.. but then again, she did force her to marry her son.

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The ending reminded me a lot of Poe's "Tell Tale Heart".

It's based on a novel by Emile Zola after all, so what can you expect? His style was gritty realism.

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The ending reminded me a lot of Poe's "Tell Tale Heart".

It's based on a novel by Emile Zola after all, so what can you expect? His style was gritty naturalism

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In the book Therese Raquin, after the lovers kill Camille and eventually marry, they find that committing the murder actually destroyed their passion for each other and now they can't stand to be together. They end up torturing each other day after day and night after night with accusations and blame and physical abuse, to the point where they hate each other so much that they end up trying to kill each other, one with a knife and one with poison. In the middle of this final fight they both have a moment of conscience or clarity where they recognize the pain they have caused each other and collapse in each other's arms, sobbing with guilt and remorse. That is the point where they decide to end their misery by taking poison at the same time.

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