Quote:
Originally Posted by caleb72
...Do you think - had Rosemary not entered the picture - whether Dick and Nicole would have lived in their illusion of happiness forever? Or do you think time would always bring them undone if not by Rosemary than by someone or something else?
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I don't think Rosemary had that much influence on the outcome of their marriage; IMO it was headed for disaster from the beginning. I think what the episode with Rosemary showed was Dick's need to be seen as a protector. When they met, she was young, and unsure of herself. By the time they consummated their affair years later, she had matured and had grown in confidence and self-assurance. Interestingly, as she grew stronger, Dick lost interest.
I also wonder if his interest in the youthful Rosemary and the young Nicole might indicate that Dick secretly struggled against the same impulses that Nicole's father had succumbed to years before that brought secret shame to him and led to psychological scars for Nicole. Consider these statements by the two men:
A broken sarcasm came into his voice. “People used to say what a wonderful father and daughter we were—they used to wipe their eyes. We were just like lovers—and then all at once we were lovers—and ten minutes after it happened I could have shot myself—except I guess I’m such a Goddamned degenerate I didn’t have the nerve to do it.”
They were not let off breaches of good conduct—“Either one learns politeness at home,” Dick said, “or the world teaches it to you with a whip and you may get hurt in the process. What do I care whether Topsy ‘adores’ me or not? I’m not bringing her up to be my wife.”