>>1041492>Even if she didn't think they could stay together, Martha could've walked out and left Karen a letter explaining the things you said.True, but what would she do after that? She was entirely convinced that her life was over, and probably felt as though her only option was suicide. It might not have been the "best" choice, but people in that state of mind don't usually make rational decisions. She probably believed that killing herself (as opposed to running away) would be the best option, as she could simultaneously end her own pain while pushing Karen to move on with her life and return to Joe.
>Deaths makes for powerful endings, and our culture seems to consider love stories more profound if they end in tragedy.I thought Martha's death was powerful not in how it contributed to the movie's "love story" (I'm not sure if those are really the right words for it in this case), but how it solidified the fact that societal pressures can, in fact, lead to a person's death. Issues of homophobia and self-loathing aside, I think the movie's main intent was to portray how an innocent rumor can have fatal consequences.
That's just my own interpretation, though. I can definitely see how the suicide ending could rub some people the wrong way, given the trend of LGBT characters killing themselves in movies/television/etc., but I think her death served a purpose relevant to the film's message.
(Unrelated, but a great fan video I found earlier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js_Ubqb7ClI)
