The Hunting Wives

Alcohol is a persistent motif in the novel since many of the characters drink heavily. When Sophie is alone at home with her husband, the two are often depicted drinking cocktails or wine, and alcohol also plays a role when they socialize with Erin and her husband. More significantly, Sophie, Margot, and the other women drink heavily whenever they gather to socialize. The presence of alcohol reveals that most of the characters are dissatisfied with their lives and are seeking to escape from their situation or numb themselves to it. Rather than being present and enjoying the company of their spouses and friends, they disengage by altering their experience of reality.

The persistent motif of alcohol also reveals the lack of social authenticity within the community. No one knows what it is like to socialize without the mediating impact of alcohol, and its influence becomes the only way that the characters can experience a sense of “fun.” Particularly for the women, many of whom are bored due to their lack of fulfilling careers or meaningful engagement, drinking becomes a way to feel that they are still living full and spontaneous lives. Notably, all the characters have privileged lives and do not have much to escape from. Still, they use alcohol to disengage from their oppressive boredom. The motif of alcohol also impacts the plot because inebriation of one kind or another results in Sophie’s partial or inaccurate perceptions of key events.