Essay on Chapter Three Of Revolutionary Road By Richard Yates

In chapter three of Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates gives us some insight into the history of April and Frank Wheelers marriage. After a night spent sleeping apart from his wife, Frank is doing yard work in the garden and the task gives him the time to reflect on a several decisions April made over the course of their relationship; the first being making the choice to love him, and the second being the decision not to have a baby. Although we only have Frank’s unreliable narration to tell us how April was motivated to make these choices, this passage clues us into one of many problems in this couples marriage; Frank does not trust April to be open and honest with him. It is this mistrust and lack of communication between the main characters that motivates them to impose ultimatums in order to prove their love to one another; ultimately resulting in the two characters committing to lifestyles that neither party wanted. Frank believes that April is unloved and damaged and this makes Frank doubt the sincerity of her declarations. When Frank characterizes Aprils reasoning as selfish and complicated (Yates 49), he 's dismissing Aprils as a logical being. He thinks that April married him because he was "the first love of any kind she 'd ever known" (Yates 50), alluding to her childhood when she had no one who made her feel cared for. One of the wheelers explosive arguments that frank recalls in this passage was triggered by something April said to him while they were dating.…