The Hunting Wives

Margot fulfills the “femme fatale” trope and sometimes functions as the antagonist within the novel. At first, Margot manipulates Sophie’s infatuation in order to cover up her own adulterous relationship with the teenage Brad, who barely meets the age of consent. Margot cares solely about her own desires and ego. She has many sexual encounters with men other than her husband and never shows any remorse for her infidelity. She cares about concealing these affairs because she benefits from her marriage and has a high social status within her community. Margot sometimes conveys a sense of sexual interest in other women like Sophie and Callie, but she also manipulates these women’s desire for her in order to secure their loyalty.

While she enjoys sexual gratification and the validation of being desired, Margot is depicted as being emotionally empty. Sophie eventually concludes, “I’m quite certain she doesn’t love anyone but herself” (289). When Sophie accuses her of killing Abby out of jealousy, Margot explains that she doesn’t care for Brad enough to kill for his sake. Margot is shallow and self-involved, and she ultimately does not love anyone except herself.

Jill is one of the wealthy women who form part of Margot’s inner circle. She and Margot have a tense but close relationship. Jill is the protective mother of a teenage son, Brad, and she grows suspicious that Margot and Brad may be having a relationship, which she disapproves of. However, she does not want to be ostracized by Margot, so she ignores her suspicions. Because the novel is narrated from Sophie’s perspective, the author only gradually reveals Jill’s true nature. At first, Jill is portrayed as a caring mother and wife who enjoys nurturing her family and living a pleasant life as a wealthy homemaker. However, Jill is eventually revealed to be the killer and the true antagonist of the novel. She is obsessively possessive of her son, and when Jill learns that Abby is pregnant, her only concern is to ensure that Brad can continue with his college plans. She is determined to ensure that he does not face any consequences for fathering a child with Abby, and she kills Abby to preserve her son’s freedom. Jill is also so obsessed with protecting her son that she kills Margot, even though the woman has been one of her closest friends. Jill therefore represents a warped version of a maternal figure because her obsessive love for her son renders her controlling and violent.

Callie is one of the women who form Margot’s inner circle, and she is particularly loyal and devoted to Margot. As a result, she tends to be jealous and resentful of anyone else to whom Margot shows affection; Sophie and Callie have a tense relationship because they view each other as rivals for Margot’s affection. Callie goes so far as to repeatedly drug Sophie and threaten her at gunpoint. Callie will do anything to protect Margot and never questions her actions. She also shows a similar tendency toward unquestioning loyalty when she accompanies Jill and Abby to Dallas, where Jill tries to coerce Abby into having an abortion. Callie mostly cares about maintaining her social circle and does not question the women around her, even when they engage in morally dubious activities. However, at the novel’s climax, Callie shows some measure of ability to differentiate between right and wrong by protecting Sophie despite the past animosity between the two women. Callie continues to act mostly out of loyalty to Margot. For example, she becomes enraged when she realizes that Jill killed Margot, and she wants to see the murderer brought to justice. Callie does not truly grow or develop as a character, but her devotion and loyalty to Margot eventually becomes an asset to Sophie.

Brad is the teenage son of Jill. He becomes embroiled in an affair with Margot even as he maintains a relationship with Abby, a girl his age. Brad is infatuated with Margot and enjoys the sexual encounters that comprise their relationship, and he is therefore vulnerable to doing whatever she says. Like many other characters in the novel, Brad desperately wants Margot’s approval and affection. He keeps their relationship a secret and cooperates with Margot’s demands that he end his relationship with Abby, even though he worries about Abby’s mental health. Brad is caught between Margot, Abby, and his mother, and he lacks the emotional maturity to navigate this situation. He becomes extremely vulnerable after Abby’s murder because he is believed to be a primary suspect. The novel never reveals his emotional responses to the murders, but he is nonetheless yet another victim of his mother’s jealous and obsessive love.