The Coming of Bill · Theme
Love vs. Social Convention
How The Coming of Bill develops Love vs. Social Convention.
The central romance between Kirk (a struggling artist) and Ruth (a millionaire's daughter) defies class expectations and family opposition, highlighting the conflict between genuine love and societal pressures to marry within one's station.
Where it surfaces
- Book I
Kirk and Ruth's love is challenged by the social conventions of their different social classes.
- III: The Mates Meet
Ruth and Kirk feel an instant, primal attraction, but Ruth acknowledges the tiresome formalities of courtship that society demands before they can be together.
- IV: Troubled Waters
Kirk and Ruth's secret courtship defies social expectations, as Ruth's brother Bailey and others disapprove of their relationship, viewing it as improper and threatening to family honor.
- VI: Breaking the News
Ruth's secret marriage to Kirk defies her father's expectations and societal norms.
- X: An Interlude of Peace
Steve Dingle's love for Mamie is hindered by his self-consciousness about his rough appearance, reflecting internal conflict between feeling and societal expectations.
- IV: The Widening Gap
Ruth's return to her social sphere clashes with Kirk's desire for a hermetic life, highlighting the tension between personal love and societal expectations.
- Dolls with Souls
Sybil's raw, fanatical love for Bailey contrasts with Ruth's earlier complacent marriage, highlighting the tension between genuine emotion and social expectations.
- Mrs. Porter's Waterloo
Ruth's choice to reconcile with Kirk despite societal and familial pressure to divorce him.