59 pages • 1 hour read
Jeneva RoseThe Perfect Marriage
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
The Perfect Marriage is told from alternating first-person points of view, Adam’s versus Sarah’s, with Sarah later exposed as an unreliable narrator. How does the novel’s narrative structure and use of an unreliable narrator illustrate some of the book’s key themes? Would the book be more or less effective with a different narrative structure? How and why?
Kelly/Jenna’s murder is a revenge murder. How is revenge contrasted with justice in the novel? How do different characters conceive of “crime” and “justice,” and what do these competing conceptions reveal about their characterization and/or interpersonal dynamics?
One of the book’s plot twists is that Sarah has killed before—murdering her own mother. What insights does the reveal provide into Sarah’s characterization? How does it illuminate some of the novel’s key themes?
Explore how gender is depicted in the novel. What stereotypes of femininity and/or masculinity are challenged or upheld? What is the significance of these stereotypes?
Consider the role of storytelling and narrative in the novel. How do different characters use storytelling to their advantage or disadvantage? Does anyone ultimately manage to “control” the narrative? Why or why not?
The book title’s typography uses strike-through text to alter the title from The Perfect Marriage to The Perfect Marriage. How does this choice of title relate to the novel’s themes and ideas? How are different marriages depicted in the novel?
Compare and contrast The Perfect Marriage with another thriller featuring a deceitful female protagonist, such as Gone Girl. In what ways are the female protagonists different or similar? Do the two novels explore similar themes? If so, how? If not, how and why do they differ?
Red herrings (false clues) are common in mystery and thriller narratives like The Perfect Marriage. How does The Perfect Marriage utilize or subvert this trope?
Analyze the depictions of motherhood in the novel. In what ways are Eleanor and Sarah’s mother different or similar? What is the significance of motherhood to the novel’s themes?
What is the significance of the novel’s ending? In what ways has “justice” been served or not served? What insights does the novel’s ending provide into the novel and its themes as a whole?
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By Jeneva Rose
