Social Issue

This was not a typical response to this common life situation.

She was not unlike AJ, but he had his wife, then lost her, then he had his books. If the other had had books to urn to maybe she wouldn't have felt so alone.

I would compare Maya's mother, Marian Wallace, to A.J's sister, Ismay Parrish.

Is that because they are both lonely women?

I think that one thing they had in common was that they both had disappointing maternal issues. Ismay had had several miscarriages. Marian had an unplanned pregnancy. (Ironically, Ismay's husband was the father of Marian's child.) In both cases, the husband or father was indifferent and unsupportive. And in both cases, the fruit of the womb was a major factor in how they saw their futures.

That's an interesting point of view. All the more interesting for its irony. Marian's fecundity resulted in ending her own life. Ismay's failed fertility resulted -- okay this is a stretch -- in ending Daniel's life.

I thought this was heart breaking-to feel that your situation is hopeless and will never improve but I also think suicide is the ultimate selfish act and shows total disregard for the people who love you and the legacy of pain you leave behind.