Part 4/10:
Much of the critique focuses on Gilbert’s relationship with Rya, a woman battling addiction and cancer. Gilbert’s own writing depicts a woman who was diagnosed with cancer and chose not to pursue treatment, instead indulging in drugs and alcohol. Elizabeth is accused of romanticizing and even enabling Rya’s self-destructive behavior, including buying street drugs, shooting heroin, and abandoning her professional commitments amidst her partner’s illness.