Society has pondered the differences between man and woman since the
beginning of time. I believe that Mr. Curnutt portrayed the essence of just that. The man
thrives on the power of ownership; "For him it's about power." (Curnutt 113) Where the
woman seeks the security, intimacy, and attention a relationship can provide. "The
attention. That's all it was, is." (109) Men and women are totally different creatures
when it comes to the affairs of the heart. Here we have a man that believes his first
marriage failed simply because he wasn't prepared enough and didn't follow the
appropriate steps. Marriage is a fragile bond between man and woman; a bond that can
be broken with or without preparation.
The male character enters into his first marriage carefree. He relents to his
fiancées demands to be pregnant before they are even we. This is done more out of
passivity than desire.
(102) His weak character and need to please put him in a situation
that neither he nor his ex-wife could handle. The product of his first marriage was a
daughter and an ex-wife. He believes this to be the product of not following the "two-
year plan". (104) Fifteen years later and probably fifteen self help books later he has
convinced himself that he is capable of having a successful marriage that follows the
standard of society.
She is twenty-five, in love and ready to be a wife and a mother, so she thinks.
Many females in their mid to late twenties start to feel obligated to find a husband. They
feel that they will never marry if they aren't married before they hit the big 3-0. The
initial high of being the center of attention with bridal showers, ceremonies, and
honeymoons creates this false sense of euphoria. Then,