Essay Questions

Three Women is essentially a novel that explores the theme of illegitimate relations. Show how this theme is brought out in the novel by Lisa Taddeo.

From Lina, a woman who is in a loveless marriage to Maggie, who falls head over heels with her teacher and finally Sloane, the theme of illegitimate relationships is present in the lives of these characters in one way or the other. First, there is Lina. Having been married to a husband who does not give her the affection that she desires, Lina is devoid of love and longs for affection; as such, she becomes involved with another man, an affair that completely grips all of her. On the other hand, Maggie, a teenage high schooler, becomes involved with one of her teachers who is married. Moreover, there is another woman Sloane who, despite being married to a man she loves, their relationship is unnatural as he always wants her to have sex with other men while he watches. These characters present and epitomize the theme of illegitimate relations.

Show how Lisa Taddeo tackles the theme of desire among the three characters who are at the center of her novel Three Desires.

Three Women is a novel that is dotted with desires. Lina is a woman who is in a loveless relationship with her husband. As such, she yearns for her husband's love and attention, and because he is unyielding, Lina seeks the affection she desires from someone more willing to comply, and an affair seems like a good fit. Additionally, Maggie gives in to her desires when she becomes involved with her teacher, a situation that later complicates her life. Sloane also has to satisfy her husband’s unworldly desires. She has to be intimate with other men just to fulfill her husband’s desire. The novel-write uses characters whom both suffer from various desires of their own.

What do the women that Lisa Taddeo follows in Three Women have in common?

In this work, the one thing that these characters have in common is troublesome sexual life. In one way or another, their sexual life is part of the problem that each is tackling. For instance, Lina after being married for ten years becomes sexually frustrated after her husband’s failure to satisfy her sexual desires. Also, Maggie becomes involved sexually with her teacher, something that ends badly for her as the teacher chooses his family over her. Lastly, Sloane becomes increasingly frustrated with satisfying her husband’s unusual sexual desires as he uses her and shares her even with other men.