The wife and the husband both act pretty jelly in the middle of the story: the wife accuses the husband of being hung up on her friend Louise, after he enthuses about her "knockout" looks. The husband accuses his wife of having a thing for a traveling salesman named Joe Brooks.
It's a stew of petty jealousies—but the heat that's causing it to simmer is coming more from the unresolved sexual tensions (the fact that they haven't made their marriage "official") than from the genuine nature of these supposed extramarital passions.
Questions About Jealousy
- How deep do the husband and wife's jealousies run? Are they sincerely felt or not?
- Do you think either of them really might have wandering eyes? Why or why not?
- To what extent are the jealousies just distractions from deeper issues? What are those deeper issues (if they exist)?
- Can someone be jealous—occasionally or whatever—and still have a more or less functional marriage or relationship?
Chew on This
"Here We Are" suggests that Robert A. Heinlein's statement "A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity" is true.
"Here We Are" suggests that Elizabeth Bowen's statement "Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies" is true.