How did she die?


How did Madame de Tourvel die? It isn't clear. Any thoughts? Anyone know what the book's explanation is? The nurses are doing some pretty extreme things to her. Does anyone know what they were doing and what they may have thought she was suffering from? Thanks a bunch to whomever responds.

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I believe she had consumption.

Don't say that! What? ...The 'zed word'! Don't say it! Why? It's ridiculous!

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In Hampton's original play it mentions her dying "of a broken heart".

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[deleted]

My Gods, no! Do you know how they treated mental illness in those days? Bloodletting didn't work, but it would have been better than a "lunatic asylum" in those days.

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I found the circumstances of her death odd as well. It makes sense she should die in order to have a truly tragic ending, but come on - dying of a broken heart?! That concept is so tragically romantic it's absurd. So while the author of the novel probably intended for us to believe it was a broken heart that killed her, I view it from a more scientific angle. Yes, his cruelty made her ill in every way - mentally, physically, and spiritually. But it was most likely the "treatments" that killed her. Both the bloodletting and the burns have high risk of infection. Many patients died from bloodletting alone. Considering her immune system was probably compromised by her illness and in her devastation and depression she probably wasn't eating, it's clear she would have easily succumb to infection. Furthermore, I believe the treatments were actually punishment in her mind. On top of the despair she also felt great shame and guilt, and as a deeply pious woman, felt she deserved to be punished or worse. I don't think death was eminent for her in her condition, she chose the "treatments" that brought about her death. So in a round about way, she comitted suicide just like Valmont. Both chose to die rather than live with the guilt and pain. Neither felt they deserved to live. I'd like to think they somehow reunited in the afterlife and found their redemption.

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"I found the circumstances of her death odd as well. It makes sense she should die in order to have a truly tragic ending, but come on - dying of a broken heart?! That concept is so tragically romantic it's absurd. So while the author of the novel probably intended for us to believe it was a broken heart that killed her, I view it from a more scientific angle. "

Well yeah maybe. But today it's a whole lot harder to "die from a broken heart". But back then if you didn't take care of yourself, you died.

Britney Spears makes me think God must be a John Waters fan.

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Considering that her lover was a lothario who slept with women of various levels of life isn't it possible that it was a sexually transmitted disease that killed her, or at least made her ill to where she would "need" the treatments administered? Syphilis, which can infect all organs; Human papillomavirus infection, which can cause cervical cancer? Female health care was not advanced during that time period and infections women could easily take care of today could have definately compromised a woman's health back then.
Another take could be that she went to convent/hospital for repentance and in her misery allowed the very religious staff to convince her that her infidelity was a sickness that must be extracted, thus the bloodletting.

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I always thought that when she had the nurses close her curtian she did a little bloodletting on her own. To me it was pretty obvious she had committed suicide. I could however be wrong, I will have to watch it again.

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When Madame Velange and Cecile arrive to see her , she says " I am dying because I would not listen to you " Also when Valmont arrives at the Marquis estate to collect on his reward he tells her " I have made her very ill for you " . Madame De Teurveil seemed on the weak side thru the entire movie . Remember when Valmont would throw himself at her and she would have to run away and unbutton the constricting clothes ? I think it was what they called the "vapors ". In those days some women were considered fragile and easily made ill. Also women were easily considered crazy for some of the things that are part of life today hormonal reactions, moodiness etc. were looked upon as mental illness usually. Example: T. S Eliots first wife Vivien had horrible menstrual/hormonal problems and was committed because of them by her own husband and brother. She spent like some 20 years in an institution until she died of a heart attack and none of her family let alone anyone else came to see her once except her brother . He made one visit after getting out of the service . Vivien was fine after she went through menopause. She was never treated with hormone therapy which would have solved her problems and her family never petitioned to have her released and they used her trust fund to pay for her incarceration there. How very sad.

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I always assumed it was a broken heart.
It's a movie folks...these things happen.

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yeah she got sick , like she caught really bad cold and she was broken hearted. Maybe she needed some good old fashion 20th century drugs , that would have healed her not those nassty ass leaches. Everyone's had a broken heart , and no one died maybe old ppl but it was a dramatic movie sooo...... Drama drama drama

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I've seen this movie a thousand times and when I was younger I thought it was a broken heart but after getting older I wonder if Valmont gave her something icky and her system couldn't handle it.

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The character of Madame de Tourvel is extremely passionate and emotional. She has never truly felt love for anyone, and when she falls for Valmont, she really falls for him. She exerts so much love and passion that by the end of it she is spent, and when Valmont leaves her, she can't stand it. She used up so much energy and life expressing her feelings to him that she could no longer live and be happy. I believe at some point she says to Valmont, "I can't live..unless I make you happy." and as he explains to her (even though it is a lie), he is not happy. So she cannot live. At least, that is the analysis I get from reading the play. I am playing Madame de Tourvel in a production and I have had to do a lot of researching to discover who she is.

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yes,the novel says "a broken heart"... poetically correct.

but ie also points out on one of the letters (the book its actually a collection of letters) that she had decided not to eat...

she refuses eating and reclused on her house until her death.

only a priest was able to visit herr (Father Anselmo in the movie)

she dies as a victim of what we call depression induced anorexia.

she just gave up living...

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Thank you for (trying to) explaining this to me. I didn't understand either.

Yes, it's true! IMDB has reached Sweden!

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she gave up...


DECIDED NOT TO EAT. period.

;)

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It couldn't have been syphilis that would have taken decades and been instantly recognisable. My view is that she was too absorbed in grief over Valmont’s rejection to take proper care of herself and something that would be easily treatable now like a respiratory infection or an infected cut caused her death.

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Lothario.

*You get the internet award for fantastic word, and its usage. Thank you for going to school, and your Parents for making you go; well done.

"Love and hate are two horns on the same goat, Eugenia. And you need a goat."

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In the original French epistolary novel (a series of four volumes to make a complete novel), it is stated that Madame Marie de Tourvel succumbs to a fever and dies after hearing the news of Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont's death.



"Hysteria is only possible with an audience."

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Also, consider when this was written. Back then, it was practically required for the wronged heroine in a novel to die of a broken heart. Medical concerns were irrelevant; her lover betrayed her, so she died. End of story. No other reason need apply.

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she was depressed, right ? and the nuns said "take her some blood and pray for her and she'll be cured", obiviously that was BS so she was still depressed, so the nuns said "more blood letting, more prayers", she still depressed, the nuns said "MORE BLOOD, CUT HER ARTERIES, PRAYERS 24/7", so... she was died, and the nuns prayed for her soul to enter heaven.

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[deleted]

Probably a venereal disease. Valmont said to Marquise de Merteuil this:
"She is ill, you know. I have made her ill for your sake."


Vanity and happiness are incompatible.

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It's been a while since I read the book, and have no desire to read it again any time soon, since it's told through letters and tedious to get through. But I thought her death came about from a combination of a congenital weak heart, poor nutrition, lack of vaccines, brutal medical treatments, and her loss of her will to live. It didn't help either that ladies' fashion of the day compressed the waist to a handspan, grossly displacing all her internal organs.

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I think she was repenting for sins, and that was exemplified with the circular things being suctioned on her back, and then she tried bloodletting. She was punishing herself. It ended in her death.

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Actually that wasn't self-punishment, although it was certainly painful. It was a common medical practice that day called cupping. They'd heat up the air in the cup and place them on the skin in order to bring up blood closer to the skin surface. It made bloodletting easier.

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uh oh you too is right. It is called cupping. I am a nurse and till ten years ago this was described in our task packet. Nobody did it anymore of course, but they certainly did it untill the first world war: to bring the blood closer to the skin surface, like uh oh you too said.
It was a treatment they used very regularly, like en Enema or bloodletting.
Most of the time it was the so called "cure" that got people killed more than the disease.

Mme de Tourvel probably just had a minor infection/fever to begin with, something other people would have easily overcome. But she was born with a frail constitution (like the unbutting her dress-scene showed), she was depressed and did not eat which weakened her even more. Combine that with the deathly cures and it is easy to die.

The romantics call it dying from a broken heart, which in a way was correct: her depression made her far more vulnerable to diseases

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I thought she had syphillis, because she said something along the lines of refusing to believe what Valmont was truly like until she got this as a punishment. Syphillis was also known as the 'sinner's disease' which makes it a cruel irony that she of all people gets it.

Also, I saw she had red sores on her back while they were treating her, but they could have been caused by the jar suction treatment.

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