10. Why does she decide to commit suicide by poisoning?
11. Why is Emma's death so prolonged?
I think why Emma really committed suicide is because she is a dreamer. Emma engages herself in literature that holds these ideas of a perfect life. So when she finally realizes that life will never be ideal as she hopes it will be, she feels hopeless. This is why Emma has relationships with so many other men because she wants this fairytale life that she has read about. Therefore, Emma feels completely trapped in her mundane life and she feels as if she has no other hope in the slightest at achieving her ideal image. In which case, this is what really leads to her suicide: her failed attempts of having her ideal life. This dream aspect of Emma also plays a role in why her death is prolonged. Emma expects not only life to be perfect, but she also expects her death to be glorious as well. One of the main reasons why Emma chooses the poison over other means of killing herself is because she expects to drink the poison and have a quick, dramatic death. What Emma failed to realize is that arson will slowly kill the body not quickly. Thus, her death reflects her life. Emma thinks her life will be glorious, but when it is not, she feels like she has to kill herself. Her slow death represents how Emma's ideal images will never match up with reality.
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