Moral by comparison only

While, throughout most of the novel, I tended to agree with the majority of the posts labeling Adeline as the “anti-hero” and as a model for how not to act, I did come to see Adeline in a better light towards the end of the novel.  This change in perspective came more in comparison with the more malevolent female characters rather than in Adeline’s active pursuit of morality.  Opie seems to present Miss Woodville’s scheming and Mrs. Norberry’s lying in such a way to exaggerate the after-effects in the eyes of the reader.  Miss Woodville’s sins are so extreme that she dies after confession, and Mrs. Norberry only admits to hers on her deathbed.  In the same manner that some posts have discussed Adeline’s death as a symbol of Opie’s disapproval, these two women share the same fate.  I found myself giving Adeline some credit for not giving into this “female treachery and jealousy” (Opie) that pervades the entire novel.  Yes, Adeline seems to disregard her own daughter in the same manner Mrs. Mowbray neglected Adeline, but perhaps her explanation that she wants to reserve all of her mother’s sympathy and sadness for her daughter’s benefit contains some semblance of moral maturation.  At least she is thoughtfully considering her daughter’s future, even if it at times seems like a justification of her selfish journey towards death.