Unmet expectations

The theme of unmet expectations can be considered one of the most predominant themes of "Little Children." The main characters of the novel are all adults in the Northeastern suburban town of Bellington, Massachusetts. Each grown-up reminisces about a time in their life when they were sure about where their life was headed. They had certain expectations for who they would become, what they would become, what their spouses would be like, and what their lives would look like.

For each main character and some of the supporting characters, expectations for what their lives would entail are wholly unmet. For Todd, he wasn't always sure what he would be doing, but he thought he would contributing more to the world than being a stay-at-home father.

Kathy and Sarah both had romantic expectations for their lives, especially when they were dating people with whom they were...