Evidence of the Affair

While the motif of letters runs through these chapters as well, their symbolic association shifts. Janet’s letters represent deception, causing suffering to her husband and Carrie. In contrast, Carrie and David’s correspondence becomes a source of support and comfort to both parties, highlighting The Cathartic Power of Honest Communication. The increasingly candid and intimate tone of their letters highlights their growing bond as they confess their deepest fears and vulnerabilities to one another. David reveals the financial pressures of his marriage, his fear of losing his sons in a divorce, and his feelings of inadequacy. In turn, Carrie describes the pain of childlessness, her lack of self-confidence, and her belief that she has achieved nothing in her life. Reid demonstrates how the distance involved in letter writing paradoxically leads to greater intimacy between them. Without the pressure of face-to-face interaction, Carrie and David shed social facades and openly articulate their weaknesses and insecurities. Carrie describes her relationship with David as “a two-way street” (23), using an image that conveys the mutual empathy that passes between them. When their friendship progresses to an in-person meeting, the letters that follow hint at a physical attraction between the couple. For example, David expresses how much he enjoyed “talking to a beautiful woman” (36), while Carrie reassures him that his self-deprecating comments about his looks were unnecessary. There is a new warmth in their exchanges, and this is built on the foundations of vulnerability and honesty from their previous letters.

Their discussions also highlight the late 1970s as a transitional cultural period, particularly in relation to gender roles. Carrie’s revelation that her mother encouraged her to remain single and pursue a career underlines the new opportunities for independence that emerged for women at the time due to legal and workplace advances. However, Carrie explains that when she was 19, she had no clear ambitions and “wasn’t quite sure who [she] was” (26). By marrying Ken and dropping out of teacher training, Carrie rejected building a career. At the same time, her inability to conceive and Ken’s infidelity make her feel doubly inadequate as she has also failed to fulfill the traditional roles of wife and mother. Her lack of self-esteem stems from comparing herself to the two opposing images of womanhood prevalent during this era and believing that she doesn’t fit into either. She questions, “What man wants a woman who cannot bear him a child?” (31), conveying her belief that her infertility has driven Ken to betray her. This highlights The Destabilizing Impact of Infidelity and also shows how the expectations of the time compounded Carrie’s negative emotions.

David’s letters also highlight how his sense of identity is adversely affected by internalized gender roles that exacerbate the destabilizing impact of infidelity. His mindset illustrates the tension between new professional opportunities for women and deeply ingrained cultural traditions that cast men as the breadwinners within a marriage. David’s description of feeling emasculated by the financial strain of supporting four children demonstrates the conventional concept that a husband’s role is to provide for his family. Janet’s suggestion that she could get a job is a source of shame to him, contributing to his belief that his inadequacy has triggered her infidelity. Referring to Janet’s letters, David asserts that, “Just the mere mention of how many times they’ve slept together in one night has made me feel about as big as a thumbtack” (30). This illustrates how the sexual details of Janet’s letters further undermine his self-esteem.