Evidence of the Affair

Letters are a motif that shape the novella’s structure as well as its symbolism. As the narrative progresses, their meaning shifts: They initially serve as the titular “evidence” of Janet and Ken’s affair, but they eventually become the vehicle for Carrie and David’s emotional survival, emphasizing the theme of The Cathartic Power of Honest Communication.

For Janet and Ken, letters embody secrecy and betrayal. Their correspondence reveals how effectively they have deceived their spouses. For the unfaithful couple, their letters are a space where they can express the illicit thoughts and feelings that they must conceal in their everyday lives. Reid uses the epistolary form to mirror the clandestine nature of infidelity.

At the same time, the letters illustrate how intimacy can develop through words alone. Janet and Ken write to each other to maintain their connection when they cannot be together. Their written exchanges fuel their clandestine relationship as; when they are physically apart, they reflect on their feelings for each other. Janet’s letters in particular reveal not only her desire for Ken but also his emotional effect on her. She writes, “With you, anything is possible” (19), conveying the sense of potential she experiences in his company as she can escape her prescribed role as a wife and mother.