The Perfect Marriage

Power dynamics and gender politics, particularly in the context of marriage, are a major theme in the book. Sarah and Adam challenge old-fashioned norms, in which the man would be the breadwinner and leader in the marriage, and the woman would be dependent on her husband. Instead, Sarah has a successful career and Adam is still trying to get his big break as an author. Throughout the novel, it is suggested that power imbalances in a marriage are ultimately destructive, regardless of which partner is the more dominant.

Eleanor’s character serves as a critical voice, questioning this inverted male-female power dynamic. To Eleanor, women should be homemakers and caretakers for their men and children—not career women. Eleanor’s inability to appreciate Adam and Sarah’s inverted gender/power dynamic is so total that she blames the affair—and Kelly/Jenna’s murder—on it. Eleanor tells Adam, “If [Sarah] would have been more focused on loving you than her career, you wouldn’t have been diddle-dipping elsewhere in the first place” (122, emphasis added). Eleanor also tells Sarah, “[If] you would have paid more attention to my son and upheld your wifely duties [...] Adam wouldn’t be in this predicament” (127, emphasis added).