Indifferent to Sacrifices

I found the ending of the novel strange. While I appreciate Highsmith's intention for a happy ending, it didn't much feel happy, or even really like an ending. For Carol, the end of the book signifies a grand new chapter in her life, presumably with Therese and without her child. And while Therese's perspective is similar, the change her life is going through feels much less significant. Since Therese is growing up through the whole book, much of what we see in her character is about change. Yet most of the changes I would attribute more to self discovery, whereas the changes we see in Carol focus on sacrifices. Therese gives up comparatively less than Carol, especially considering how miserable she was before hand.

For us to truly judge whether this a happy ending, I feel like I need to better understand Carol, especially in regards to her feelings and intentions for her family. I find it incredibly hard to believe that she would truly let go of her daughter, and I think her future decisions around the matter would play a huge roll in the Carol-Therese relationship. I would imagine Carol's emotions could become taxing on Therese, and I wonder if this would emphasize the age difference, or more importantly the stage of life difference, between the two. Much like Carol deserted her family, Therese could easily desert Carol.