One question

Just finished watching this for the 2nd time & I was wondering if anyone knows why Solomon's wife and children leave in the beginning of the film? There was some mention of a period of 13 odd weeks and "it is custom" but beyond that I couldn't find any reference in the film or online.

I do intend to read the book at some point, but I have a very extensive and overloaded reading list at present. I'd be interested if anyone has read Northrup's book how they felt about it versus the film story.

Finally I can't help but say how dismayed I was at the statement in the film by Mistress Ford I believe: "your children will soon be forgotten" What an absolutely horrid thing to say. I both wonder what happened to the crying woman and at the same time I find myself rather hoping something untoward happened to Mistress Ford. I'm not sure who I disliked more, her or that awful Tibeats kid.

I wonder if it is part of the human condition to feel responsible for falling into hard times and apologizing later or if it is just something filmmakers prefer to add when making films like this. I recall that in Cast Away with Tom Hanks his character also apologizes to Helen Hunt after he gets rescued. Either way it just seems so very unnecessary.

“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.”