Marriage and Love

Marriage and love do not always work hand in hand in the novel, but are important to the main plot, nonetheless. As a young woman, Agatha searches for love in every male she meets. She views being a wife as her destiny, showing that she has a very narrow view of marriage and all that it entails. In spite of the problems that arise later on, Archie and Agatha have a steady, romantic courtship. He pursues her relentlessly, to the point that he demands they get married one day, out of the blue, while he is on leave. Archie’s love of Agatha is volatile as it stems from lust. From the start, he fixates on her attractiveness and creates an ideal of her in his mind. When this ideal does not coincide with the reality of Agatha’s nature, Archie grows moody and...