The Third Wife

Adrian Wolfe is the novel’s protagonist, a dynamic and round character whose personal reckoning propels the narrative. His central struggle is with the truth, both the facts surrounding his wife Maya’s death and the more profound reality of his own emotional failings. Initially, Adrian is presented as a charming, conflict-averse idealist who believes he has successfully engineered a modern, blended family. He insists, “We’re one big happy family” (8), a mantra he uses to paper over the deep fissures in his relationships with his wives and children. This desire to avoid unpleasantness is symbolized by the Board of Harmony, a whiteboard that meticulously organizes family logistics but fails to address the underlying emotional fallout of his divorces. His idealism functions as a form of denial, allowing him to believe his marriage to Maya was “perfect” (26) and ignore the signs of her profound unhappiness. This commitment to a manufactured version of reality introduces the novel’s thematic exploration of The Fragility of the “Perfect Family” Ideal.

As the narrative progresses, Adrian’s defining trait of emotional absence is revealed. He is characterized as a “human moth” (315) who flits from one source of adoration to the next, abandoning relationships when they cease to be novel and easy.