One could read Rose’s final moments as a dual ending of sorts, one imagined by Shirley as the possible outcomes for her novel. That would indicate that Shirley has been writing Rose’s story all along, a stand-in for Paula and all the other women she wants to represent in her writing. In one version, she’s overwhelmed by events and decides to jump. In another, she’s sent away to recover, but her fierce, determined expression indicates she will come out of the experience stronger and more independent than before. Both of these women live within all of us. At the beginning of the film, Shirley was unsure of her talent and her worth. At the end, she’s being praised as a genius by Stanley, comfortable in the knowledge that it’s true.