Marriage seems like just another box to check off on a long list of Stuff You're Supposed to Do in Something Happened. Most men like Slocum know it's expected of them, yet marriage only further perpetuates the cycle of unhappiness. In Slocum's world, husbands often look for happiness outside of their marriages in the form of younger women, and though we don't necessarily hear of the women turning to other men, that's partly because women remain pretty much unknown territory to our male characters, whose perspectives we mostly get. At the end of the day, husbands and wives sleep side by side. It's so much easier than divorce, and it's much better for office politics.
Questions About Marriage
- Is one party more responsible than the other for causing marital strife? Or do both husband and wife share equally in the blame?
- What is unique about the relationship between Slocum and his wife? In what ways does their relationship exhibit the stereotypes of a typical suburban couple in the 1960s?
- Was the Slocum marriage doomed from the get-go? Is there something that could save Mr. and Mrs. Slocum?
- What role do children play in either supporting a marriage or causing it to crumble?
Chew on This
Slocum claims he's wanted to divorce his wife since the day he got married, yet having kids and establishing a lifestyle with her has complicated things a bit. He's gone too deep and has reached the point of no return; he'll never get out.
Slocum could easily get out of his marriage if he really wanted to, but he's the one who chooses to remain married. For someone who's okay with being complacent, remaining married to his wife sure saves him from a lot of hassle.