The Time Traveler's Wife Marriage

The Time Traveler's Wife dramatizes some of the obstacles of married life and extols compromise as the key to a happy union. Clare and Henry face obstacles that neither of them can control nor predict. Yet, Clare forgives Henry again and again for his frequent absences, sometimes when she needed him the most. Henry, for his part, tries to be a caring husband and father in his present with Clare. Throughout their struggles to have a child, they always find back together because they make an effort to understand each other's feelings.

Questions About Marriage

1. Clare wants a baby because she needs something real in her life, something that stays with her when Henry's gone. It seems understandable, but is it reasonable?
2. Many reviewers have equated time travel in the book with "miscommunication." Does that seem like a valid argument? Is there any other aspect of relationships that time travel could represent?
3. Henry and Clare face great obstacles in their marriage. Can you think of any obstacles they don't have to face compared to normal couples?
4. How similar is Henry and Clare's marriage to a "normal" marriage where no time traveling is involved?
5. Did getting married change Clare and Henry's relationship with one another?