I recently finished two books whose titles I won't cite for the sake of spoilers, and in both books there arose an odd marriage situation. Each couple was in a marriage, each had an adulterer, and one story had a psychopath + sociopath combo. Both couples decided they would stay together and maintain their situations because they were better people when they were together. By playing the roles of good husband and wife, they shaped up in unexpected ways. And while I agree that they did need each other, I'm ambivalent about the honest dishonesty. Who's to say that they couldn't be happy if they pursued their hearts?
A note on the spoilers:
Even though I don't mention the titles of the books, the character profiles will be obvious if you ever do read the story. Book 2 is going to be released as a movie early next year.
Book 1:
Book 2:
So, thoughts? If playing the part of a good spouse makes you a better person, should you become that person, or should you be true to yourself?
A note on the spoilers:
Even though I don't mention the titles of the books, the character profiles will be obvious if you ever do read the story. Book 2 is going to be released as a movie early next year.
Book 1:
Husband is a broken, borderline criminal, drug addict who has lost both parents to separate violent deaths, whose only love in with someone else, and whose wife is in a regular relationship with her true love. Theirs is an arranged marriage of sorts, in that the mother of the wife who recently lost two members of her direct family has been hit with a crippling depression, and the only thing that has rehabilitated her is the satisfactory union of her daughter and this dude. And despite the wife's emotional detachment from him, he tries to sober up for her and rectify his business. She, in turn, sees her guy less often and is not taken advantage by him as much.
They agree that staying together is better for them and helps the mother whom they both love a great deal.
They agree that staying together is better for them and helps the mother whom they both love a great deal.
Book 2:
Sociopath, adulterer, misogynist husband is being blackmailed by his psychopathic wife into staying married to her. The emotional layers here are a bit difficult for me to outline at the moment, but she essentially caught him cheating and flipped out. Framed him for the murder of herself and her unborn child (falsified medical records) to teach him a lesson for cheating on her. She hides out for several months intent to watch the press on the story and will conclude the charade by killing herself in way that may give the authorities an opportunity to find her body, thereby condemning her husband to lethal injection.
After an unexpected turn of events she resurfaces, covers up her planted evidence and is not convicted, and they have this long talk about they are better people when they are together. They do, in fact, love each other and admit their psychoses. I guess they can't be crazy if they admit they're crazy, but that's a different topic. Anyway, since they can acknowledge their faults, they try to be the perfect husband and wife when they are together. This odd, sporadic happiness that they have is the only happiness they've known, and so they agree to be together.
After an unexpected turn of events she resurfaces, covers up her planted evidence and is not convicted, and they have this long talk about they are better people when they are together. They do, in fact, love each other and admit their psychoses. I guess they can't be crazy if they admit they're crazy, but that's a different topic. Anyway, since they can acknowledge their faults, they try to be the perfect husband and wife when they are together. This odd, sporadic happiness that they have is the only happiness they've known, and so they agree to be together.
So, thoughts? If playing the part of a good spouse makes you a better person, should you become that person, or should you be true to yourself?