incharacter212
New member
I've got a few main character relationships between both main and secondary characters on a personal writing project that I've been working on for a few years. I feel like the plot and my own Isemi-) original ideas are finally coming together, and though I'm confident in my ability to craft relationships, I'd like some feedback pertaining to this particular one, which happens to be my main relationship, between an unhappy husband and wife. The description that follows may be a little too unsettling for a younger Answerer - it does include sex and domestic problems, as well as extra-marital affairs and a same-sex attraction - please consider this a polite warning.
The husband is completely in love with another woman, and only married the one who is his wife because his society dictates, basically, "you marry who you sleep with" - as well as having to keep up appearances of being willing to follow his people's laws, since he leads a subfaction of them, albiet a powerful one among six.
After he has a drunken one-night stand with the main character, she (the main character) ends up pregnant. She is living with her brother at this point, and he discovers who the father of his sister's child is relatvely quickly. The father is the same man who has been pursuing *his* girlfriend, despite the fact that she has told him she is not interested in him.
In a fit of anger, he throws his sister out, and provides her with only one option: go live with the child's father, because he will not tolerate her presence anywhere near him. She chooses to go live with her baby's father. She did not want to become pregnant, nor did she intend to marry anyone. She marries the father, but he is still infatuated with her brother's girlfriend, and resents her for "ruining his chances" with the other girl. Because of his resentment, he is often harsh and impatient with her when she makes a mistake regarding a domestic task or social misstep. (It should be mentioned that the husband lives within an entirely different facet of society than the one she grew up in.)
She resents him for his high expectations that she feels she cannot possibly fulfill. She is angry about her situation and her pregnancy. She feels trapped in his society, which is very demanding of and unfair to women (this is in keeping with the general attitude about women during the time period. This is set in Medieval times) She is used to being able to do whatever she wants thanks to her outcast social status in her former society, and now because of her husband's high-ranking position in his society, she has many duties that must be attended to, such as making sure the needs of the other women are being met and hearing their concerns and obeying the orders of the men (those who are below her or not, she is forced to do as they say, with exceptions in some obvious areas). She also acts as advisor to her husband, but advisor only - he makes all final decisions.
They both love their daughter (who is born during her tenure with him - I am referring to the same woman mentioned above), but not-so-secretly resent each other. They argue often - he is constantly absent taking care of other matters, and his wife is not taken seriously by those he leaves in charge. He sometimes mistreats her, however this is allowed by his peoples' laws, with certain limits (which he ignores, since he also is responsible for *enforcing* these laws, leaving her basically trapped, as she feels it.) (*I am NOT advocating mistreatment or abuse of any member of either sex*). She takes issue with this, and is made lonely enough by his constant absences and his adverserial attitude that she cheats on him. With an old lover, a noblewoman whose fancy she took (not of her own doing originally, she was working for someone else, and was hired for the woman's pleasure. The two eventually discover genuine affection for one another, and value the other's friendship and, um, companionship.) The affair is discovered, and she is humiliated. His reputation as a competent and capable leader is undermined, and their relationship becomes yet more vitrolic. They sleep in the same bed, but there is no intimacy. Sex is used either as a punishment (by the husband) or as a way of begging for a favor (by the wife).
So, what do you think? I have the laws that are to be followed (mostly) posted on another website, and I can provide links to them for any interested parties.
Do you have any feedback for me? See any room for improvement, suggestions? Feel free to say so!
Thanks so much for your time!
The husband is completely in love with another woman, and only married the one who is his wife because his society dictates, basically, "you marry who you sleep with" - as well as having to keep up appearances of being willing to follow his people's laws, since he leads a subfaction of them, albiet a powerful one among six.
After he has a drunken one-night stand with the main character, she (the main character) ends up pregnant. She is living with her brother at this point, and he discovers who the father of his sister's child is relatvely quickly. The father is the same man who has been pursuing *his* girlfriend, despite the fact that she has told him she is not interested in him.
In a fit of anger, he throws his sister out, and provides her with only one option: go live with the child's father, because he will not tolerate her presence anywhere near him. She chooses to go live with her baby's father. She did not want to become pregnant, nor did she intend to marry anyone. She marries the father, but he is still infatuated with her brother's girlfriend, and resents her for "ruining his chances" with the other girl. Because of his resentment, he is often harsh and impatient with her when she makes a mistake regarding a domestic task or social misstep. (It should be mentioned that the husband lives within an entirely different facet of society than the one she grew up in.)
She resents him for his high expectations that she feels she cannot possibly fulfill. She is angry about her situation and her pregnancy. She feels trapped in his society, which is very demanding of and unfair to women (this is in keeping with the general attitude about women during the time period. This is set in Medieval times) She is used to being able to do whatever she wants thanks to her outcast social status in her former society, and now because of her husband's high-ranking position in his society, she has many duties that must be attended to, such as making sure the needs of the other women are being met and hearing their concerns and obeying the orders of the men (those who are below her or not, she is forced to do as they say, with exceptions in some obvious areas). She also acts as advisor to her husband, but advisor only - he makes all final decisions.
They both love their daughter (who is born during her tenure with him - I am referring to the same woman mentioned above), but not-so-secretly resent each other. They argue often - he is constantly absent taking care of other matters, and his wife is not taken seriously by those he leaves in charge. He sometimes mistreats her, however this is allowed by his peoples' laws, with certain limits (which he ignores, since he also is responsible for *enforcing* these laws, leaving her basically trapped, as she feels it.) (*I am NOT advocating mistreatment or abuse of any member of either sex*). She takes issue with this, and is made lonely enough by his constant absences and his adverserial attitude that she cheats on him. With an old lover, a noblewoman whose fancy she took (not of her own doing originally, she was working for someone else, and was hired for the woman's pleasure. The two eventually discover genuine affection for one another, and value the other's friendship and, um, companionship.) The affair is discovered, and she is humiliated. His reputation as a competent and capable leader is undermined, and their relationship becomes yet more vitrolic. They sleep in the same bed, but there is no intimacy. Sex is used either as a punishment (by the husband) or as a way of begging for a favor (by the wife).
So, what do you think? I have the laws that are to be followed (mostly) posted on another website, and I can provide links to them for any interested parties.
Do you have any feedback for me? See any room for improvement, suggestions? Feel free to say so!
Thanks so much for your time!