The Housemaid's Wedding

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and cursing.

“They say rain on your wedding day is good luck. Death threats on your wedding day? Probably not so much. Still, I know exactly how to deal with this asshole.”

Millie’s engagement with the first threatening call she receives characterizes her as someone who is courageous yet overly confident. Additionally, it foreshadows potential danger for her. The fact that she is so certain that nothing will happen creates the expectation for the reader that she will be wrong. The dry, sardonic tone here sets up Millie’s emotional defense mechanism: humor. Her bravado is undercut by irony, pointing to the chasm between what she says and what the reader anticipates. This contrast contributes to the theme of Expectations and Desires Versus Reality, as her confident tone masks escalating danger.

“I refuse to let that call get to me. I have a tendency to do things that piss people off, and occasional death threats are to be expected, but they have never proven to be more than empty words. It’s something I’ve grown used to.”

Millie’s rationale for ignoring the calls lends insight into her troubled past and how it impacts her character. She has led a dangerous life because she risks her life to help others. As a result, violence and danger are normalized for her, offering an explanation as to why she is choosing to ignore the calls.

“When he says those words, I feel—dare I say it?—lucky. I never felt lucky in my whole life—it’s not a word I’d ever have used to describe myself. But at this moment, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.”

The idea of being “lucky” is a recurring motif throughout the story. Specifically, Millie repeatedly notes how she has never been lucky, with one exception: her marriage to Enzo. This idea emphasizes the theme of