I want to know why maria would stay with her husband if all she dreams about if emil. It sounds to me that she is not happy with him and that he would probable be a lot nicer to everyone if she was not around, to me that sounds like a dead end marriage, AGREE or NOT?

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2000

Answers

At this time period it was not a normal occurance for people to get divorces. I don't think that it was very socially acceptable. I think that Maria felt as though sneeking around and keeping things secretive were her only choice. She might have been to afraid to tell her husband that she no longer had feelings for him.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2000

In fact, this is my biggest pet peeves of scenario's in stories. I can't stand it when there are two characters that are in love, but unfortunately, one is tied down with another person that they really don't love, therefore it just can't happen. It makes me upset when they are upset throughout the whole story ,and complain because they can't have what they want. I can't stand people that complain about their life or situations , but aren't willing enough to do anything about it to change it. Maria obviously has no deep feelings for Frank, but the fact is, this is set in older times,and Maria is a devout Catholic. Catholic's would never go to such a degree of divorce then.(I'm a Catholic and my grandmother still has a hard time with believing in it)Maria probably just sees this as the way its got to be, and things will never work out either way. I don't think that Maria and Emil will become of any "thing" by the end of the story.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2000

Back then, divorce was nearly unheard of. You didn't leave your husband just because you were unhappy. And she may have been scared of what Frank would do if she did leave him. You also have to take into consideration that Maria is Catholic and divorce is not accepted by the church.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2000

Marie and Frank's marraige is a dead end marriage. Frank is a hot- tempered jealous man whose wife is an uncontrollable little flirt. She is playing with Emil's emotions right now. Deep down she thinks she wants Emil, but only because she can't have him. If she could have him she would not want him anymore just as she does not want Frank anymore. Frank never did anything wrong, she just got tired of him because he is old news and she wants a new toy to play with. Marie really is like a little child. No matter who she has, she will still always be a flirtacious little thing, breaking any man's heart that became attached to her. She could never hold a healthy marriage, but she would never get out of one because of her strong Catholic faith. Although I think she should try and become a stronger Christian by not acting as an evil temptress.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2000

Isn't it easy to become uncomfortable/unhappy in a relationship today...Isn't it equally as easy to look to someone else for what your relationship is lacking? Then what.....you are in love until you forget that marraige is compromise and change. We love "to be in love". Only when you have open communication which is a constant struggle and learn one anothers wants and needs in a relationship can you learn to be comfortable or hopefully remain happy. Divorce has certainly changed alot. With it being so easy to leave a relationship, we do so.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2000

There is a couple of reasons why Maria stays in her love less marriage. First she is a strict catholic, I am also a catholic and I realize that the church does not support divorce under her circumstance. The other reason she cannot leave her husband Frank is because it was socially ubaceptable in those times to give up on a marriage. The last reason she would not leave Frank is because she feels she should stay with him because it is her duty because of the vows she took.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2000

I think that it sad that Maria has married someone that she has no deep feelings for. Then again I don't think it is right for her to be seeing Emil. I was happy that Maria relized what she and Emil were doing wasn't right and was going to end the relationship. Don't get me wrong I was glad to see the two characters in love and wished the best for them, but then again there is the facture that she is married. I guess it would have been nice to see how things would have turned out if Frank hadn't killed them. Maybe then Maria and Frank could have understode eachother better and have been happy. I guess we will never know. I guess this is a lesson in think before you leap.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2000

I don't necessarily agree with Frank and Maria's marriage being a "dead-end marriage." No they do not have the perfect marrriage by any means but they made a commitment to be together no matter what--and Franks attitude/temper should be looked upon by Maria as an obstacle to be overcome by them both. Instead she takes the easy way out and goes to Emil for what she should go to Frank for. Maria is not happy with Frank but she doesn't seem to try to fix any of their problems. I do agree with the idea that Maria should have left Frank though, because she was unwilling to give up her feelings and relationship with Emil. If her whole-heart isn't in the marriage it shouldn't be there at all. If she would have left Frank, then all three of them might not have lost out in the end. Frank could have found someone who would trulely committ to him and Maria and Emil could have been together.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2000

I believe that Marie was stuck in a very difficult situation. She was very much in love with Frank when before they got married and when they did get married. But when Emil returned she realized that she had married the wrong person for her. To me it appears that Emil and Marie were soul mates and belonged together from the start. After Emil returned she realized that they did belong together but knew that since the Catholic religion did not encourage divorce that she would never be able to be with Emil. When she was with Emil before he was going to leave in the orchard she just wanted to dream that they were together since she knew that it wouldnt ever happen in real life. Although Marie knew she couldn't have Emil, she would have been much happier with him than Frank.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2000

I have to agree, Maria had married the man she thought that she would love forever yet when Emil came back things changed. I also do not like these kind of stories because if you want something bad enough you do what you can to get it. Sure it was not acceptable at the time to divorce Frank yet was going behind his back with Emil any better? Either way she needed to come clean, she would never have a full loving life or marriage having to hide her feelings for Emil. If she wasn't going to divorce Frank and stand up for what she wanted then she needed to get Emil out of her life and give Frank the love and support that was expected from her. One way or another she needed to get rid or leave one of the men in her life. That is just selfish to lead both men on and then neither one would have a fullfilling life.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2000

Considering the time period, divorce was not as common as it is now. Marriage was more than making yourself happy and having the free will to choose whoever you wanted, it had agreements that went along with it. Not necessarily forced, she had the choice, but she had to choose who would be able to support her, and who she could contribute to. Emil probably wasn't as big of an option at the time of marriage. Breaking the marriage with Frank just wasn't possible.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Maria and Emil had always been a "thing" but when she met Frank she just fell in love too fast and got married. I agree that when you love someone you should be with them, but divorce wasn't popular at the time and so they had to stay together.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000