Sexuality

Given Jane's inability to have sex, due to her birth defect, sexuality is a dominant presence in her life and throughout the novel. Jane's first and most astonishing contact with sexuality happens when Grace brings Jane into the woods in order to watch her have sex with Arlo Bennett. Even though Grace is somewhat rude to Jane in their conversation afterwards -- plus also in their conversations about sex in their later, adult lives -- it is somewhat ironic that Grace, of every character in the book, is most comfortable with sex, and gets the most satisfaction out of her sexual relationships. This may be because, ironically, Grace puts the least amount of spiritual importance on sex. Following the rendezvous with Arlo, she explains to Jane that humans having sex is: "'No different from some animal, in the end'" (98). Even though Grace will eventually divorce after...