Really enjoyed the line you called out that Alan was “not concerned with possession of her but a complete knowledge of her”
I don’t think she grants Alan that same non-possessive love, she is riddled with “anxiety from shame” and self loathing, she cannot tolerate the thought of Alan’s extramarital affairs.
I have to think Alan either knows the truth of Sabina’s prolonged absences or is very simple. She’s gone for “rehearsals” and he doesn’t attend the production?
It makes me think of the old term, carnal knowledge, which is achieved through penetration. Alan manages to penetrate Sabina in ways that her other lovers don't, going beneath whichever façade she's presenting to the world that day. He alone has knowledge of her deeper context and actively forgives, perhaps even relishes, her transgressions. If Sabina is on a search for herself, should she just talk to Alan?
I don't really have a strong opinion on Sabina's husband yet. Sabina is constantly thinking about him and comparing him to others, and we've seen some of his behavior, but I still can't tell whether he's actually suspicious of her affairs.
Some things seem pretty obvious from the reader's perspective. For example, he paid for her hotel without realizing she was still in town, which makes me wonder if he might have seen a receipt or noticed something that didn't add up. If he is aware and choosing to look the other way, maybe he genuinely loves her and understands why she's suddenly rebelling. Or maybe he's involved in something similar himself. It's hard to tell whether he'd react with shame, anxiety, or indifference.
After reading Nin's brief history, I'm wondering if that's actually the point, that he knows more than he lets on and is tolerating it for now. Then later in the book, we might finally see the consequences when he either confronts her or reaches his limit.
Really enjoyed the line you called out that Alan was “not concerned with possession of her but a complete knowledge of her”
I don’t think she grants Alan that same non-possessive love, she is riddled with “anxiety from shame” and self loathing, she cannot tolerate the thought of Alan’s extramarital affairs.
I have to think Alan either knows the truth of Sabina’s prolonged absences or is very simple. She’s gone for “rehearsals” and he doesn’t attend the production?
I agree with you I think he is at least somewhat aware of the truth but instead decides to turn a blind eye.
It makes me think of the old term, carnal knowledge, which is achieved through penetration. Alan manages to penetrate Sabina in ways that her other lovers don't, going beneath whichever façade she's presenting to the world that day. He alone has knowledge of her deeper context and actively forgives, perhaps even relishes, her transgressions. If Sabina is on a search for herself, should she just talk to Alan?
I don't really have a strong opinion on Sabina's husband yet. Sabina is constantly thinking about him and comparing him to others, and we've seen some of his behavior, but I still can't tell whether he's actually suspicious of her affairs.
Some things seem pretty obvious from the reader's perspective. For example, he paid for her hotel without realizing she was still in town, which makes me wonder if he might have seen a receipt or noticed something that didn't add up. If he is aware and choosing to look the other way, maybe he genuinely loves her and understands why she's suddenly rebelling. Or maybe he's involved in something similar himself. It's hard to tell whether he'd react with shame, anxiety, or indifference.
After reading Nin's brief history, I'm wondering if that's actually the point, that he knows more than he lets on and is tolerating it for now. Then later in the book, we might finally see the consequences when he either confronts her or reaches his limit.