Marina Oswald & Kathleen Wade: Wives Involved in a Political Ambition

Abstract

“I’m no psychiatrist, but if you ask me, politicians in general are pretty insecure people” (O’Brien, 1994, p. 97). This quotation describes politicians as insecure people, and the word “insecure” has more than one implication. It may mean that politicians are insecure to themselves or to people around them. It can also mean that politicians’ actions are not trustworthy. This description indicates that one must fear or be aware of politicians in general. A politician’s wife may need also to have this caution. According to such description, does a politician’s wife feel happy or secure with her husband? This paper will focus on the life of two wives. The first one is Marina Oswald in Don Delillo’s novel Libra (1988), and Kathleen Wade in Tim O’Brien’s novel In the Lake of the Woods (1994).The main blame would be on husbands; however, this paper will explain the role of the wives as well. The absence of real communication, besides the extreme political expectations of the two husbands, leads to ending the two marriages unsuccessfully.