Unattainable Women

The men in We’re All Damaged are unhappy because their happiness is tied to the actions of the women in their lives, and most of the men are pining for women that they cannot have. The main character, Andy, is struggling to deal with the loss of his wife, while his father struggles to maintain an affair, and his grandfather is looking to be reunited with his deceased wife.

Karen is unattainable because of her rejection of Andy and because she replaced him with someone new, but also because Andy was never able to hold on to her—and part of that was not his fault. In a conversation Andy has with Jerry, Karen’s father, it becomes apparent that Karen has always been independent. Since the time she was in kindergarten, she has had a line of admirers pining after her, but she...