328:, she was born in January 1925. She later migrated to New York City, where she lived most of her life and died in her sleep of a stroke in September 1980, at age 55. She attended Millard Fillmore High School and was in the graduating class of 1943. Her high school had only one reunion (the 30th) in 1973, which she attended. At some point, she met Archie at the Puritan Maid Ice Cream Parlor. In the episode "Archie Goes Too Far" Edith reads her diary and reveals that she received letters in May 1943 from Archie while he was overseas serving in the
499:. In the one-hour Season 2 premiere, "Archie Alone" (which first aired on November 2, 1980), Archie is still in denial weeks after Edith's death and refuses to take Stephanie to visit her grave. Near the episode's end, after neighbors and friends had removed Edith's personal items to help him to cope, Archie, alone in the now-empty bedroom, finds one of her pink slippers left behind underneath the bed, and breaks down in tears as he recalls the morning he discovered Edith had died in her sleep during the night:
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503:"It wasn't s'posed to be like this, y'know; I was s'posed to be the first one to go. I know I always used to kid ya about you going first; you know I never meant none of that. And that morning when ya was layin' there, I was shakin' you an' yellin' at you to go down and fix my breakfast, I didn't know. Ya had no right to leave me that way, Edith, without givin' me just one more chance to say I love you..."
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fourth-season episode "Gloria Sings the Blues," Edith reveals that her parents almost divorced after a nasty fight and that although they stayed married, things were never the same between them. This deeply affected her and her views on marriage, marital fighting, and social conduct. In the fourth-season episode "Archie the
Gambler," Edith reveals that her father was
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near affair had almost destroyed the
Stivics' marriage, berates the "Little Goil" and says that the matter is "God's business"). In both instances, Edith warned Archie to back off and says that God should be left to deal with those matters and the people involved. She also becomes close friends with a transvestite person/drag performer known as Beverly LaSalle (
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her signature - Archie claimed he just "traced" it from a check - on an application to mortgage their house, in order to secure funds for the purchase of the pub.) Edith loses her job at the
Sunshine Home in 1979 (for violating company policy by allowing a terminally ill woman to die and failing to inform the staff), but in an early episode of
357:, Edith, by the second season, was noticeably different than her more dysfunctional and narrow-minded British counterpart Else Garrett. Edith is the voice of reason and rock of understanding, often contributing a unique perspective to a topic. She is decidedly less bigoted than Archie (e.g., she is good friends with her Black neighbor
365:). Though her opinions sometimes sharply differ from Archie's, she is intensely loyal to her husband, often sticks up for him and stands by him in his times of need. She is the most naïve family member and the happiest character on the show. For example, in a conversation with Gloria, Edith stated that she favored
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Edith is most known for her shrill voice (her trademark "Oh, Aaaaaaaaaaw-chie!" became popular among viewers) and her flighty demeanor. The latter character trait causes Archie to call her "dingbat". However, Archie truly loves his wife and wants what is best for both of them. Frequently, he consults
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premiered in 1971, Edith was a homemaker. In 1974 Edith got a part-time job as a caretaker at the
Sunshine Home. She later was a partner in Archie's business, Archie's Place, the tavern he purchased in 1977. (In truth, she wasn't a legal official partner. She just made that claim after Archie forged
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In contrast, in a memorable episode in the show's second season, Edith uncharacteristically snaps at Archie, repeatedly telling him (as he frequently did to her) to "stifle". Edith, who otherwise never cursed, also loudly instructs the family to "Leave me alone, dammit!" After a visit to the doctor,
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Her character and accent change somewhat between the first and second seasons. In the earliest episodes, she is the "put-upon wife," often bemoaning (though softly) her husband's behavior or comments: also during the first season, Jean
Stapleton spoke more in her own range (albeit with a pronounced
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More than once, Edith sharply chastises Archie for casting judgment against other people, particularly when he mentions God. Two notable examples came in the episodes "Cousin Liz" (Archie went on a diatribe about how God hates gays) and "California, Here We Are" (where, upon learning that Gloria's
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Fearing being typecast in "submissive" roles, Jean
Stapleton had wished to leave her role as a regular character, although she was open to guest appearances (in interviews, Stapleton has stated the role of Edith had reached its potential). Her appearances in the prior season sharply declined: she
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In the second episode of the first season, "Writing the
President", Edith remarks how, before her marriage in 1946, she got a job and started working for the "Hercules Plumbing Company". By the second season, her husband becomes "Awwchie." In the third-season episode "The Battle of the Month" and
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Edith also serves as the voice of reason for Mike and on several occasions corrects him when, as she says, "He's been acting all stuck up." She explains to Mike that Archie yells at him not because he hates Mike but because he is jealous of Mike's many opportunities in life. Edith also, on many
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next-of-kin", giving her the tea set that Liz's spouse would legally have inherited. Edith was popular among audiences for her sweetness, unconditionally loving everyone she knew and staying optimistic during tragedy. Despite cooperating with Archie, Edith doesn't share much of her husband's
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Edith Bunker is an undereducated but kind, cheery, and loving woman. She is less politically opinionated than the rest of the family. Her main role is as the matriarch who keeps her family intact. Archie once described Edith's father as a man "with no chin and a 'go funny' eye." A native of
373:" (in which the Bunkers learn that her recently-deceased cousin Liz was a lesbian and that her "roommate" Veronica had actually been Liz's life partner, Edith is at first shocked at the revelation, but quickly throws her arms around Veronica and warmly accepts her as Liz's "
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agreed to have the character killed off. When
Stapleton reminded him that Edith was a fictional character, Lear took a long pause, causing Stapleton to think she had hurt him. Finally, Lear said, "To me, she isn't ," but ultimately made the decision to have Edith die.
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accent), rather than the nasal, high pitched voice for which Edith is generally remembered. By the second season, she becomes the character more familiar to viewers: kind, utterly non-judgmental, and fully dedicated to her husband.
394:. Now if you're gonna have a change of life, you gotta do it right now. I'm gonna give you 30 seconds now come on, change!" In another episode, Edith, in a conversation with Gloria, wonders whether men go through "women-pause."
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prejudices. Examples of this are shown through her friendships with drag queen
Beverly LaSalle and Louise Jefferson, both of whom Archie is less cooperative with, when the Jeffersons lived next door to the Bunkers.
422:) who comes into their lives when Archie saves his life with CPR, remaining friends with him, despite Archie's discomfort. Edith later has a crisis of faith after Beverly's death protecting Mike from muggers.
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Beneath his crusty, irascible exterior, Archie is intensely protective of Edith and becomes upset at the mere thought of losing her. In the episode "Too Good Edith," the 209th and final episode of
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Edith is described by Archie's father as being "too smart" for him because, while Edith appears to have less-than-average intelligence, she is very wise about life and the way the world works.
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Around the house, Edith usually runs, eager to please others without them having to wait. This included answering the doorbell or phone and running to the kitchen to get Archie a beer.
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and almost brought his family to ruin (an experience which led Edith to put her foot down twice regarding Archie's similar gambling problem - and once slap him).
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in the second season ("Edith's
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647:"Jean Stapleton: No Dingbat"
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164:Gertrude Baines (sister)
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981:Edith's Crisis of Faith
144:In-universe information
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177:(1948–1980, her death)
162:Harry Baines (brother)
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1013:Till Death Us Do Part
974:Edith's 50th Birthday
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461:Archie Bunker's Place
448:Edith's 50th Birthday
404:Archie Bunker's Place
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166:Helen Baines (sister)
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919:Recurring characters
794:United States portal
573:on 11 September 2013
354:Til Death Us Do Part
342:addicted to gambling
154:elder-care caretaker
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371:Cousin Liz
297:Bea Arthur
202:(grandson)
188:(daughter)
149:Occupation
85:Created by
1039:Spin-offs
567:museum.tv
484:phlebitis
456:phlebitis
440:menopause
384:menopause
229:("niece")
193:Relatives
152:housewife
1115:episodes
1076:episodes
1064:episodes
1052:episodes
1005:Based on
951:Episodes
768:June 17,
309:said on
223:(cousin)
182:Children
1102:Sequels
347:Though
1133:(2019)
1125:(1994)
1091:Gloria
1086:(1981)
682:7 July
657:7 July
577:7 July
544:Yahoo!
497:stroke
466:stroke
388:hernia
363:George
258:sitcom
171:Spouse
159:Family
1047:Maude
960:Maude
625:(PDF)
472:Death
444:raped
397:When
392:truss
830:IMDb
770:2012
684:2015
659:2015
633:2024
607:2017
579:2015
375:true
108:and
828:at
536:on
414:).
72:" (
52:" (
1171::
735:.
700:.
675:.
649:.
595:.
565:.
468:.
332:.
1117:)
1078:)
1066:)
1054:)
990:"
986:"
983:"
979:"
976:"
972:"
969:"
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962:"
958:"
866:e
859:t
852:v
772:.
745:.
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706:)
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661:.
635:.
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581:.
295:(
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130:(
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48:"
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