More Than a Voice

There is no denying that Edith Piaf is an extremely talented singer and actress.  After watching the clips of her singing, her unique voice compensates for what many may argue is a lack of stage presence.  While I do find her incredibly talented and can acknowledge that she led a difficult life, I struggle to come to terms with the choices she made throughout her life.  In Margaret Crosland’s chapter on Edith Piaf, we learn that Edith was crushed by the fact that her mother had abandoned her as a child and vowed that she would never do such a thing to her own child, yet when she gave birth to Marcelle, she all but abandoned her in my opinion.  Crosland informs us that she left Marcelle in the care of a friend in order to continue her singing career.  Eventually Louis, Marcelle’s father, cared for her because Edith “could only live dangerously” (33).  I do not agree with Louis’s tactic to use Marcelle as blackmail for Edith to move back in with him, and it is a testament to Edith’s love for Marcelle that she did move back, but if you have a daughter, you cannot be running through the streets at nights with your friends.  You should not get into bouts with the police and be shot out.  When you have a daughter, your world should shift from being you focused to other focused.  No, Edith did not abandon her daughter in the traditional sense, but she did not give her daughter any better of a life than her father and mother had given her.  Finally, it strikes me as odd and extremely sad that Marcelle died alone in a hospital.  One would think that if your child had a life threatening illness, you would stay with them day and night.

I also struggle with the notion that she was able to watch the grandmother of her child struggle and be in pain without helping her.  Crosland retells the story of when Louis’s mother “fell flat on the floor, knocked her head against a stray bucket, blood ran down her face and she choked.  Edith did not dare move to help her” (35).  I understand that the mother had been yelling insults and threatening Edith, but it’s concerning that Edith felt no pull to help a vulnerable, struggling person especially one who had probably helped care for her daughter.

Edith Piaf fought through many hardships and experienced a lot of sorrow and rejection in her life, but at a certain point, I do believe that regardless of your talent you have to evaluate the effect you have on those closest to you and adjust your life appropriately.  Granted, I have only read this short excerpt on Edith Piaf and by no means am I an expert.  Other sources may portray her differently, and I am not in a position to judge her entirely; I am simply concerned by how her character comes across as portrayed by Crosland.