Daniel explains it as a journey to discover what freedom truly is, and he wrote it at a time in his life when he was struggling in his relationship. The romantic notion is to stay with someone through thick and thin, but this is not easily done for we are much more human than we wish to be. Numerous alternate scenarios are explored: What if he chose to go down remedy lane and leave his wife? what if he pursued his own selfish desires in lieu of hers? What if he allowed his anger to gain the better judgement? often couples are hesitant to explore sex after such a traumatic experience, the male blaming himself for what occurred, which can result in the wife feeling inadequate and isolated, perhaps seeking the company of someone else to fulfill her needs. these are all selfish, base desires, but they are a part of human nature, and this is what Daniel is getting at I think. The ages he speaks of don't point to pedophilia or underage acts of coitus necessarily, they are aspects of human sexual awareness, his and hers. Obviously, he and his wife were able to overcome this obstacle as they have had children since, so I don't think everything he speaks of actually took place, they are dramatic licenses the author took in order to better deal with his grief.
Daniel explains it as a journey to discover what freedom truly is, and he wrote it at a time in his life when he was struggling in his relationship. The romantic notion is to stay with someone through thick and thin, but this is not easily done for we are much more human than we wish to be. Numerous alternate scenarios are explored: What if he chose to go down remedy lane and leave his wife? what if he pursued his own selfish desires in lieu of hers? What if he allowed his anger to gain the better judgement? often couples are hesitant to explore sex after such a traumatic experience, the male blaming himself for what occurred, which can result in the wife feeling inadequate and isolated, perhaps seeking the company of someone else to fulfill her needs. these are all selfish, base desires, but they are a part of human nature, and this is what Daniel is getting at I think. The ages he speaks of don't point to pedophilia or underage acts of coitus necessarily, they are aspects of human sexual awareness, his and hers. Obviously, he and his wife were able to overcome this obstacle as they have had children since, so I don't think everything he speaks of actually took place, they are dramatic licenses the author took in order to better deal with his grief.