Brantford Public Library's Online Book Club discussion

As early on as their honeymoon, we already start to see conflict between Robert and Jane. One minute she is talking about how proud she is of him and is quoted as saying "I had never been so tanned or so happy or more in love"

However, later on in that same scene Robert and Jane have a stressful conversation where he expresses his concerns about her working conditions, about the social pressures he is feeling by having a working wife and reprimands her for discussing religion and politics. He mentions that he might be too old for her.

Is the writing on the wall for this couple right from the begining? Did they seem doomed this early on in the story? Where you ever rooting for them as a couple?

There were many red flags around the marriage but I really just thought in the begining that it was simply a sign of the times. I thought Robert treated her like she was a child but I think many marriages were structured like that and I didn't read too much into it early on. Jane's way of thinking was obviously going to be a source of conflict but I don't think I automatically saw it as a doomed marriage. I guess I had some fairy tale image that he would finally come to his senses and value his wife's thoughts and dreams.

I think I bought into this marriage "Made in heaven" at first; they seemed in love , both good looking but it seemed
from the very beginning his family wasn't happy with his choice. Am I remembering thus correctly? Too many red flags, as u say Anna, from the very beginning. Thankfully, we don't have to live in a world or relationship like that but some women still choose to.

I knew that the relationship was doomed from the start. The moment she decides to take the pill without his knowledge you know that there is no future for this couple. Even on the honeymoon he is embarassed that his wife has political opinions of her own. Not only that but that she is quite eloquent in her expression of these opinions. Heaven forbid that she share these thoughts with perfect strangers! Of course, it goes from doubtful to worse very quickly as the realities of life with a working wife further strain the marriage.
Looking at it from 2014 it seems crazy that this is the only life that women of a certain class were expected to follow. But this was reality at the time. It seems like such a waste of time and money to have gone to university or college with the end in mind to get, not a BA or whatever, but rather an MRS. My mother went to college and did work for awhile but as soon as she became pregnant she had to quit - not because she wanted to but because this was the rule at her place of work.

My how times have changed. To me this relationship was definitely doomed from the start. When your own husband can't even pretend to support your choice to work or to have ideas of your own, how do you make it work? So sad.