Essay Questions

Is David’s affair with Marita ironic to the reader?

It is indeed ironic to the reader when he realizes that Catherine is the one urging her husband to engage in an affair with another woman called Marita. Catherine and David are married and it is beyond the expectation of the reader that his wife can encourage him to have sex with another woman. Such occurrences are rare in reality. Catherine claims that she enjoys seeing her husband having sex with another woman but towards the end, the reader realizes that Catherine is an insecure woman who thinks that her husband is naturally a cheater.

What is the connection between sex and intimacy in The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway?

The author of this novel is trying to illustrate that despite sex being purely connected with sex, there is a counter-instinctual outcome in reality. Using David and Catherine’s marriage as an example, the author depicts that marriage is disconnecting intimacy from sex. However, David finds it awkward when he is having an affair with Marita because his wife is encouraging him to do so. He does not seem to enjoy sex with Marita because there is no intimacy. On the other hand, Catherine pretends that she is enjoying seeing her husband having sex with another wife but in reality, she is hurting.

Does Ernest Hemingway use the character Marita as a symbol of marriage dysfunction in his novel?

Marita is used as a catalyst in David and Catherine's marriage because she is supposed to bring satisfaction in the relationship. Catherine brings in Marita to have an affair with her husband because she knows that he will obviously cheat on her with Marita. Therefore, Catherine thinks that it is a good strategy to encourage her husband to have an affair with Marita. She is doing this to satisfy her curiosity. The reader realizes that in this marriage, there is dysfunction because the couples do not trust each other. It is indeed true that Marita is used as a symbol of marriage dysfunction between David and Catherine.