1. Why might an author create a deeply flawed protagonist?



2. Does having a deeply flawed, even dishonest, protagonist undermine the credibility of the author and their novel, or perhaps increase it?

3. Is Edna flawed, or simply being true to herself now that she knows herself better?

4. Is it better to live unhappily but with fidelity to others whom you have made a commitment to (wives, husbands, children, other loved ones), or should one leave a situation which does not fulfill their deepest self? Is there always a middle path?  What do you think Edna should do?

Bonus question: What would Emerson say?  (The allusion to Edna reading Emerson for the purpose of self-improvement is no accident)