The Return · Question
How does The Return develop the theme of Marriage and Domestic Tension?
Answer
The Return by Walter de la Mare develops Marriage and Domestic Tension across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The strained relationship between Arthur and Sheila Lawford is a key theme, revealing distrust, lack of empathy, and the breakdown of communication in the face of crisis.
The crisis strains the marital relationship, with Sheila's distrust and Lawford's plea for support.
The strained interaction between Lawford and Sheila, her separate bed arrangement, and his hollow apology reveal deep domestic unease.
Sheila's cold management of Lawford's finances and her emotional distance underscore the strain in their marriage.
Evidence in the book
- Chapter II
The crisis strains the marital relationship, with Sheila's distrust and Lawford's plea for support.
- III
The strained interaction between Lawford and Sheila, her separate bed arrangement, and his hollow apology reveal deep domestic unease.
- V
Sheila's cold management of Lawford's finances and her emotional distance underscore the strain in their marriage.
- Chapter VIII
The chapter centers on the strained relationship between Lawford and Sheila, with arguments over his need to go out and her attempts to control him.
- XIV
The chapter centers on the confrontation between Lawford and Sheila, revealing years of pretense, recrimination, and the breakdown of their marriage.
