Carol chose romantic love over her daughter

I didn't even know it was worse in the book. The film itself made Carol out to be a hedonistic, narcissistic bitch that deserved no love or happiness in her life.

majoros-maria writes: "Was that what There expected Carol to do, after she had been abandoned by HER OWN MOTHER?"

Yes. I think it was.

Therese was searching for her mother (That certainly seems evident in the book), and so she found her mother -- right along with the strong possibility of abandonment. In the book, Therese worries that Carol loves Rindy more.

As for Carol, she seems to be a more loving mother in the film; but in both cases, Carol didn't really choose anything. At the time (1950s), she had only the slimmest chance of getting custody of her daughter; and so, she was true to herself. I think regardless of Carol's choices, Harge was going to do his utmost to control both Carol and Rindy. That seems to be the kind of man he was, and the kind of man that was epitomized in the 1950s.


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Carol didn't chose anything. At most, Carol got the best out of the difficult situation she was in. In the end, she could still see her daughter from time to time. There was no possibility for Carol to get her daughter's custody. She knew it. Harge knew it. Their lawyers knew it. To keep fighting for it would have taken an even heavier toll on Carol's daughter.

As for the ending, it wasn't a happy one nor it has to be.

Carol cannot live with her daughter as she wanted.

Harge did got his daughter but, not Carol, which was his ultimate goal.

Carol's and Harge's daughter didn't have both mother and father at home. Her family was torn apart and that will have an effect on her for the rest of her life.

Therese got Carol but, they will always be pointed by society and the issues of Carol's daughter and Harge will always have an effect in their relationship.

In the end, Carol and Therese are together but, that is just the beginning for them. It doesn't mean they will stay together or that they will sail to the sunset to live happily ever after. The ending is just an ending. It doesn't have to be happy or unhappy.

Personally it reminds me of the ending of A Doll's House.
Carol had to find her happiness too

I think mostly, Carol chose to be true to herself. She wasn't going to lie anymore about who she was or who she loved.

I found it all very realistic. Not all women are cut out to be moms. Carol got married and had a child because that's what was expected of her, but that doesn't mean she wanted it. She did love her daughter, though.

Carole decided to live freely as oppose to all the impositions and conditions, Harge, his lawyers and relatives wanted to place on Carole (at least according to the book). What sort of life is that, she would have been miserable and could have possibly become resentful. Carol made do with what she thought was best for Rindy. Rindy would still see her from time to time and eventually make her own decisions regarding her relationship with her mother.

It was not so much that she chose romantic love over her daughter. She just realizes that her not being able to be her best self, who she truly is is, just to get limited time with her daughter is doing nothing good for her daughter. She isn't choosing Therese over her daughter. She was doomed from the start of the divorce when it comes to getting custody of her child. She also knows that, like I said, she's doing her daughter no favors by lying to herself and her daughter about who she truly is. She didn't choose Therese over her. She gets Therese, and gets to see her daughter occasionally. That's how it would've ended up being regardless of if she chose Therese in the end.

There is another reason to fill your heart with hatred.