In Our Time Lesson Plan

How would you describe the relationship between the Elliots? How are they similar or different from couples seen in other stories? Do you believe that they are happy in the end?

The Elliots seem to be married for no reason other than that people get married and have babies. However, they cannot achieve this goal and soon become mechanical and disinterested in the relationship. The story tells us that they become happy when Hubert largely abandons the marriage and Cordelia begins sleeping with another woman. Some students may agree that this is happiness because both of them get what they want, while others read the statement ironically and see the two ruining their marriage....