ies ▁of ▁marriage . ▁Mam ah ’ s ▁and ▁Wright ’ s ▁travel s ▁in ▁Europe ▁are ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁constraints ▁experienced ▁at ▁home . ▁They ▁soon ▁realize , ▁however , ▁that ▁the ▁fant asy ▁is ▁short ▁lived ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁in ev it ably ▁called ▁back ▁to ▁face ▁reality . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁more ▁conform ist ▁and ▁more ▁gu ilt ▁r idden ▁Mam ah ▁who ▁stands ▁her ▁ground ▁and ▁res ists ▁the ▁ur ge ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁her ▁family ▁oblig ations . ▁She ▁strugg les ▁between ▁the ▁t ies ▁to ▁her ▁family ▁and ▁her ▁invisible ▁bond ▁to ▁Wright . ▁She ▁cho oses ▁the ▁latter ▁but ▁in ev it ably ▁real izes ▁that ▁her ▁passion ▁for ▁Wright ▁often ▁brings ▁her ▁to ▁abandon ▁her ▁own ▁intellectual ▁asp ir ations . ▁Even ▁Wright , ▁the ▁self - proc laimed ▁free ▁spirit , ▁succ umb s ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁society ’ s ▁press ures ▁in ▁the ▁end . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁also ▁expl ores ▁some ▁deeper ▁aspects ▁of ▁love . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁intellectual ▁incl in ations ▁and ▁natural ▁independence ▁of ▁Mam ah ▁which ▁pi qu ed ▁Wright ’ s ▁interest . ▁Yet , ▁while ▁the ▁two ▁travel ▁through ▁Europe ▁together ▁where ▁they ▁can ▁pass ▁as ▁husband ▁and ▁wife , ▁Wright ▁veh ement ly ▁asks ▁that ▁Mam ah ▁play ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁woman ▁expected ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁her ▁purs uits ▁to ▁follow ▁him ▁where ▁his ▁career ▁takes ▁him . ▁Mam ah ▁keen ly ▁rem inds ▁him ▁that ▁his ▁views