Marie's choice of making her own decision such as having an affair with the Drum Major and the societal impacts and the pressure on her from the society, her sexual desire, etc.
Marie stands in Woyzeck as both a symbol of feminine independence and of dependence on a patriarchal society. In terms of the former quality, Marie lives with Woyzeck in a common-law marriage, without feeling she needs to wed him, even though marriage is the norm in her world. When she is attracted to the Drum Major, she follows her desires and accepts an affair. So in a way she is independent in a time that doesn't allow that frequently for women. But it's too easy to talk of her as some bastion of independence. In truth, Marie's options are limited and she has a child to care for. Part of what draws her to the Drum Major is Woyzeck's declining sanity and his failure to provide much of a living wage. She needs a lucrative future. When she gives into her sexual desire for the Drum Major, it isn't like Madame Bovary doing as she feels, but rather Marie tries to imagine some useful future in a society that offers her very little. She is torn as is the play's protagonist, though she pays the heavier price in the end.
