To Room Nineteen Group

Question:

peluza74
peluza74
Student
College - Senior

Why does Susan “despise” her emotions in "To Room Nineteen"?

Susan “was filled with emotions that were utterly ridiculous, that she despised.”

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Posted by peluza74 on Wednesday February 13, 2008 at 6:25 PM and tagged with characters, emotions, susan, themes, to room nineteen.

Answers:


  1. sullymonster Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    Susan and Matthew have pledged to live their lives free from emotion.  They are to use their intellect to proceed through all conflicts.  By relying on intellect and not emotion, they believe they will always act in their own best interest and will avoid making the mistakes so many of their friends have made based on emotional reactions.

    It is a logical theory.  However, as humans, we are creatures of emotion.  Susan can not squash them forever.  Matthew's indiscretions and her position as "wife" soon become too much for her to emotional deal with - but by allowing herself to feel those emotions, she becomes unhappy and unsettled.  This is why Susan "despises" her emotions.  They cause her to want change, which is counterproductive to her ordered and supposedly content life.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/room-nineteen/themes

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    Posted by sullymonster on Saturday May 31, 2008 at 12:29 PM