▁the ▁novel ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁conflict ▁between ▁the ▁characters ▁and ▁the ▁social ▁constraints ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁Rom antic ▁relationships ▁are ▁most ▁heavily ▁scr ut in ized . ▁ ▁Paul ▁Herz ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Lib by ▁become ▁est r anged ▁from ▁their ▁families ▁because ▁one ▁is ▁Jewish ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁is ▁Christian ▁( rel ig ion ▁re emer ges ▁as ▁an ▁issue ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁novel ). ▁ ▁Social ▁class ▁also ▁plays ▁a ▁role , ▁especially ▁between ▁G abe ▁and ▁his ▁girl friend ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁Mar tha , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁divor ced ▁mother ▁of ▁two ▁struggling ▁to ▁make ▁ends ▁meet . ▁ ▁Mar tha ▁repeatedly ▁fear s ▁that ▁G abe ▁will ▁leave ▁her . ▁ ▁G abe , ▁at ▁one ▁point , ▁tells ▁a ▁fellow ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁fac ulty ▁member ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁marry ▁her , ▁but ▁he ▁ultimately ▁fle es ▁back ▁to ▁Mar tha . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁novel , ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁confront ed ▁with ▁the ▁sometimes - th in ▁line ▁separ ating ▁sexual ▁prom is cu ity ▁from ▁san ct ity ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁culture . ▁ ▁Ab ort ion , ▁divor ce , ▁rem ar riage ▁and ▁ad option ▁affect ▁the ▁lives ▁and ▁psych es ▁of ▁Roth ' s ▁subjects ▁as ▁the ▁plot ▁unf olds . ▁ ▁One ▁remarkable ▁sty list ic ▁trait ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁two ▁narr ative ▁modes . ▁ ▁Part s ▁of