Marriage

Marriage is the central theme of the novel and it is used to convey the importance of communication and compromise to the survival of a relationship. The Calloways’ marriage struggles when Corrine and Russell fail to meet each other’s basic needs. Corrine turns to engaging in extramarital affairs to fulfill her needs for companionship, partnership, and her need to feel desired. Russell pulls away from their marriage when their sex life wanes and ends up facing his midlife crisis alone because of his refusal to share his troubles with his wife. They only begin to repair their relationship when they open lines of communication between them. The breakdown and rehabilitation of the Calloway’s marriage shows the necessity of open communication in a healthy relationship. McInerney uses the various marital problems of the Calloways and their friends to accomplish this.

When marriage issues arise with...