The Arrangement

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and emotional abuse.

The Arrangement reflects contemporary anxieties about marriage in an era marked by shifting relationship norms and technological disruption. According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40% to 50% of marriages end in divorce, with infidelity cited as one of the leading causes (Krolikowska, Anna. “Breaking Down Divorce Statistics.” Anna K Law, 1 Jun. 2025). This crisis has sparked interest in alternative relationship models, including consensual nonmonogamy and open marriages, as couples seek solutions to traditional monogamy’s perceived limitations. Researchers have documented how modern marriages face unprecedented pressure to fulfill emotional, sexual, and personal-growth needs that were historically distributed across extended family and community networks.

Dating applications have fundamentally altered how people form romantic connections, creating what sociologist Eva Illouz terms “emotional capitalism”—the commodification of intimate relationships (Illouz, Eva. Cold Intimacies: The Making of Emotional Capitalism. Polity, 2007). Platforms like Tinder and the fictional “Dater” app in the novel normalize casual sexual encounters while paradoxically offering the illusion of endless choice. This technological landscape enables Ainsley and Peter’s arrangement, providing the infrastructure for their extramarital exploration.

The couple’s “rules” mirror real-world attempts at ethical nonmonogamy, including boundary