Daniel Deronda

[Butaperson]

I have been watching Daniel Deronda as of late, and would like to discuss a moral issue in the show.

There is the point in which Gwendolyn’s husband falls off the boat, and although she could have saved him, she does not. For context, this man is someone she had married because she was having money troubles and he was rich. After the marriage, he turned sour, and made her life miserable. One day they were out boating, and he is knocked off the boat by accident. Gwendolyn grabs the rope, but as she says, she cannot make herself throw it to him. When he is completely submerged underwater, she jumps in, only to have him float up completely dead.

What is your opinion on this? I do not think this would be a mortal sin, since there was no prior thought (one of the three things necessary for mortal sin, yeah?) Especially since she did clearly intend to throw the rope, only thought a bit too deeply about it, and a bit too late.

It is slightly difficult to say, because she states that beforehand she had been praying for him to die (as a result of her being trapped in this miserable marriage), which on its own could be a grave matter - but clearly there was no real desire for him to die, especially since she did jump in after him - risking her own life for it.

I suppose it’s a moot point since Gwendolyn doesn’t appear particularly religious, but I would like to hypothesize. I don’t think it’s a mortal sin, although I do think it’s a grave matter, and that if she had simply sat back in the boat without blinking an eye, waiting for him to drown, it probably would be a mortal sin. But for this event, I don’t think she is guilty of murder as she insists she is afterwards.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

It’s hard to say, because we don’t know exactly what went through her mind (speaking as though this were a real person, even though of course she is a fictional character). It always seemed to me that for those few moments when she hesitated to throw the rope, she was perhaps at that time sort of hoping that he would die, but more in a contemplating, “what-if” way than actively and cold-heartedly wishing for his death. The fact that she panics and jumps in to try to save him as soon as he actually goes under tells me she didn’t really want him to die–she was merely thinking about it for a few moments, and when confronted with the hard reality that might actually be about to drown, she tries to prevent it from happening.

It’s a serious thing and enough to make a person feel guilty for the rest of her life, but not enough for her to be truly guilty of murder, in my opinion. I would agree with you.