A Romantic Weekend by Mary Gaitskill Summary

In A Romantic Weekend, Gaitskill describes a complex sado-masochistic relationship, in the third person, between an unnamed man and woman. The man is married but has outside affairs. He was struck at the beginning by the woman's passivity and neediness, which he is drawn to. She, meanwhile, likes his aggressive and dominant side. However, as their relationship continues, she finds him violent and is scared by his aggression; meanwhile, he finds that she has more of an ego and a personality than he originally thought, which is a turn-off for him. They go to his grandmother's deserted apartment for the night but still, he finds that she's not a submissive enough masochist for him; at the same time, she thinks that he is disgusting and is scared of his violence. On the drive...