50 pages • 1-hour read
The Arrangement
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Background
Social Context: Contemporary Marriage Crisis and Alternative Relationship Models
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 setting and consent protocols advocated by relationship researchers. However, Modglin exposes the psychological complexity beneath such arrangements. Ainsley’s manipulation of Peter through their agreement reflects how alternative relationship models can become vehicles for control rather than liberation. The novel’s exploration of Stefan’s stalking behavior and the revelation of his criminal nature further illustrate the dangers inherent in modern dating culture, where anonymity and digital mediation can obscure predatory behavior. Through this lens, the arrangement becomes both a symptom and an accelerant of the couple’s deeper dysfunction.
Psychological Context: The Psychology of Manipulation and Serial Killing Behavior
The Arrangement draws extensively from established psychological research on antisocial personality disorder and manipulative behavior patterns. Peter’s character embodies what forensic psychologists term “compartmentalization,” the ability of violent criminals to maintain normal social facades while engaging in predatory behavior (Jacobs, Don. Analyzing Criminal Minds. Prager, 2011). Studies of serial killers like Dennis Rader (BTK) and Gary Ridgway (Green River Killer) demonstrate how perpetrators can function as seemingly ordinary family members while committing horrific crimes. Peter’s hidden room and methodical collection of victims’ underwear mirror documented cases where killers maintain trophy collections as psychological control mechanisms.
Ainsley’s manipulation tactics align with research on coercive control and psychological abuse. Her orchestration of Stefan’s death through deliberate misinformation exemplifies what psychologists call “instrumental aggression”—violence used strategically to achieve specific goals (Nickerson, Charlotte. “Instrumental Aggression: Definition and Examples.” Simply Psychology, 2 Oct. 2023). Her false claims of domestic abuse exploit Stefan’s protective instincts, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of psychological manipulation that rivals trained professionals.
The novel’s exploration of moral disengagement reflects psychologist Albert Bandura’s research on how individuals justify harmful behavior through cognitive mechanisms like euphemistic labeling and displacement of responsibility (“Manual for Constructing Moral Disengagement Scales.” Albert Bandura). Both characters engage in this process: Peter frames his murders as “urges” requiring satisfaction, and Ainsley recontextualizes her manipulation as relationship “fixing.” Their mutual complicity creates what researchers term “folie à deux”—a shared psychotic disorder where delusions become mutually reinforced (“Shared Psychotic Disorder.” Harbor Psychiatry and Mental Health, 6 May 2024). Modglin’s portrayal accurately captures how manipulative personalities can exploit normal psychological processes like love, guilt, and fear to maintain control over their victims and themselves.
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