Change in Character
Natalie realizes that Caleb seems to lack direction and motivation in his life, which creates more tension in their marriage as time goes on. What did you think about the way the author flipped traditional gender roles in their relationship? Did it change how you viewed either character?"
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I think Natalie could have avoided a lot of what went wrong in her life if she leaned into these "flipped" gender roles. They both would have been a lot happier if they did what they WANTED to do and not what they thought they were SUPPOSED to do. Caleb could have been a kindergarten teacher and Natalie could have done something with her book-smarts... or worked for some sort of religious organization. But then again, Caleb was so lazy and privileged that he probably would've become disinterested and quit a few weeks in. A lot of pressure is put on the mom to be this perfect role model figure for her kids, and Natalie was horrible, but I'd argue Caleb was just as bad if not worse. His lack of initiative only made me dislike him more.