Wicked Little Letters Ending Explained
Summary
- Edith’s dark secret is revealed through the letters, exposing her past and tumultuous relationship with her father.
- Moss is the only one who seeks the truth, catching Edith red-handed in a plot twist that liberates the women in the story.
- The real reason behind Edith’s hate letters is her internalized anger towards her controlling father, leading to her eventual liberation.
Wicked Little Letters‘ ending not only shows how Edith gets caught but also reveals the deeper reason why she was writing the letters. Based on a true story, Wicked Little Letters‘ cast is led by Olivia Colman as Edith, who receives several profane letters from an unknown person. Jessie Buckley’s Rose Gooding becomes easy prey for everyone’s suspicion because she is known to be a foul-mouthed single mother.
However, as the movie progresses, it becomes evident that Edith was writing those letters and posting them to herself all this while. While the town’s law enforcers set their eyes on Rose, only one of them, Moss, tries to find the truth. This ultimately helps her uncover that Edith is responsible for the letter, which also exposes the truth behind Edith’s past and her torrid relationship with her father, Edward.
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Why Edith Feels Good About Defying Edward In Wicked Little Letters’ Ending
Edith Feels Liberated Despite Being Sent To Prison
Almost throughout Wicked Little Letters‘ ending, Edith struggles to break free from Edward’s control. She understands that Edward is responsible for holding her back from living her life the way she wants, but finds it hard to break free because he keeps gaslighting and manipulating her into believing she needs him. As the movie progresses and Edith becomes more and more aware of how her father, Edward, treats her, she realizes that he was the reason why her former fiancé left her.
…even though she gets sent behind bars, she feels more liberated than ever because living with her father is no less than a prison.
After growing increasingly frustrated by her father’s oppressive rules that sabotage her life, Edith is finally set free towards the end of the film after she gets arrested for writing the letters. This is ironic because even though she gets sent behind bars, she feels more liberated than ever because living with her father is no less than a prison. Before she gets sent away in the prison van, she even tells her father she will never come back to him. When he tries to manipulate her again, she lets out a barrage of insults she has held inside her for a long time.
Although she is initially surprised by her own brash language, she later giggles all the way to prison, while Rose also embraces the fact that she finally stands up for herself. This scene ties into the film’s overarching theme surrounding the oppression of women and the early days of the suffragette movement in Britain. Other than Edith, even other female characters like Moss are looked down upon by their male peers, who either try to control them or take credit for their achievements. However, in Wicked Little Letters‘ ending, both Edith and Moss find a semblance of freedom by taking control of their lives.
Why Edith Writes The Letters In Wicked Little Letters
The Letters Reflected Edith’s Internalized Anger & Hate
In Wicked Little Letters‘ final arc, Edith confesses to Rose that she could not stop once she started writing the letters and even apologizes for directing the blame for them at her. While this scene does not reveal why she was writing hate letters to herself in the first place, the film’s story confirms that the letters were a means for Edith to vent her frustrations and anger towards her father. She was tired of her selfish father constantly sabotaging her happiness for his benefit, but could never truly vocalize how she felt about him.
While Edith lived in a self-imposed prison of conformity, she seemingly felt jealous of how happy Rose was without fitting into societal expectations of women.
As a result, the letters became an instrument for her to channel her hate and resentment towards him. A part of Edith also seemed envious of Rose’s life. While Edith lived in a self-imposed prison of conformity, she seemingly felt jealous of how happy Rose was without fitting into societal expectations of women. She hated how Rose reminded her of her own insufficiencies and lack of freedom, prompting her to direct the blame for the letters on her.
Towards the end of Wicked Little Letters, however, Edith realizes where she went wrong and tells Rose that she wishes she had not channeled her anger in her direction. This acceptance of envy is also liberating because it helps her take one step towards living her life like Rose instead of harboring ill feelings for her. It also paves the way for the two characters to bury their beef and revive their friendship.
Moss’ Plan To Catch Edith Red-Handed Explained
Moss Stays One Step Ahead Of Edith To Expose Her
Almost midway through the film, Edith’s mother, Victoria, dies from a heart attack after reading one of her hate letters. When Moss requests Edith to sign her mother’s death certificate, she notices that the way she writes “G” seems similar to the one written in the letter. This initially raises her suspicions surrounding Edith’s involvement in writing the letters. However, her superior, Chief Constable Spedding, does not take her claims too seriously and even suspends her for not backing off from the case.
In the movie’s final arc, Moss teams up with Ann to find the truth about the letters. She uses invisible ink to paint recognizable marks on the stamps Edith buys from Kate at the post office. When Edith finally drops the letter in the mailbox, Moss shows up, grabs her posted letter, and uses a chemical to reveal the invisible ink, confirming that Edith bought the stamp papers they had previously marked at the post office. This proves that Edith was writing hate letters all this while, which finally leads to her arrest.
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The Real Reason Behind Rose & Edith’s Fallout Explained
Edward Was The Reason Why Edith & Rose Stopped Being Friends
Long before their conflict in the movie’s present timeline, Edith and Rose were close friends. However, their friendship turned sour when Rose headbutted a guest at Edward’s birthday party, and someone called local child protective services on Rose. Believing that Edith tipped the child protective services, Rose decided to end their friendship. However, the movie later confirms that it was Edward who had called the child protective services on Rose because he hated how she was influencing his daughter.
Her father was the true antagonist in her life, preventing her from living on her own terms.
He could foresee how Edith would start questioning his oppressive ways if she did not stop hanging out with Rose. Edith, too, understands this towards the end of Wicked Little Letters, realizing that Rose was never her enemy. Her father was the true antagonist in her life, preventing her from living on her own terms.
How Wicked Little Letters’ Ending Compares To The Real Life Events
The Movie Changes Certain Details Surrounding The Real Events
Before Wicked Little Letters‘ credits start rolling, the film reveals that “Edith Swan was sentenced to twelve months’ hard labor.” Highlighting Rose’s fate, the closing text shows that she was never charged with any other crime. The movie also sheds light on Moss’ life after the events, disclosing that she “has her own plaque in Littlehampton.” While the details of the event’s aftermath are accurately portrayed in the film, it takes several creative liberties when it comes to its depiction of Edith’s motives.
As per reports (via Den of Geek), Edith’s father had little to do with her conflict with Rose, and she was the one who initiated legal action against her despite writing the letters herself. Many of her letters were also signed “R”, “R.G,” and “with Mrs. Gooding’s compliments,” revealing how she was purposefully trying to frame Rose, unlike the movie’s version of the character. However, since Wicked Little Letters attempts to send an optimistic message with its creative liberties, its inconsistencies with real events can be overlooked.