Examples Of Healthy Relationships In The Time Traveler's Wife

A Healthy Relationship

Relationships are what make up our world today. Everyone has a bond of some sort with someone. They shape the way we see others and how we act. A great relationship, then is not a perfect one, but a healthy one. Healthy relationships develop when both parties are invested in the relationship. As demonstrated in the novel the time traveler’s wife by Audrey Niffenegger two people can build a healthy relationship as long as the other person places the needs of the other first. On the other hand Her fearful symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger features a failed relationship where one person was willing to sacrifice more than the other. While the relationship between Claire and Henry is filled with love, the relationship between

Claire sacrifices a lot of her life waiting for Henry to come back so she can be with him. Her life becomes one based solely to see him. She gives up a normal life of dating and friends because of her belief in Henry and the love she has for him” "Do you ever miss him?" she asks me. "Every day, every minute," … "Yes. It's that way, isn't it?" (Niffehegger 99). although her loneliness could have drove her to look for other men, she stayed loyal to her husband and waited for his arrival. Her sacrifice for putting up with her loneliness strengthened their relationship. Furthermore Henry also tries to get a vasectomy so that he can save Claire's life" Clare the next time you miscarry it is going to kill you, and I am not going to keep doing something that’s going to end up with u dead”( Niffehegger 352). He wants to have a baby, Henry's baby but Henry gives up that chance so he can save Claire. On the other hand, in the novel Her fearful symmetry the sacrifice is one sided “if Valentina came back; if the twins went home? She would make Valentina go with Julia.

Which means to never insult, tease, or make fun[i]. This shows that you don’t [j]care about their feelings and have no respect for them. Respect means a lot in a relationship. With no respect, there is no relationship. In Her fearful symmetry this is shown when Mr. Xavier Roche, the solicitor asked what the sisters are planning to do in London and Valentina answers, which her sister Julia in return does not respect her decision and responds with the opposite “We aren’t sure yet. But we’re planning to go back to school”. Actually we’re done with school” (Niffenegger 96). This shows that Julia has the last say in the matter and does not care about her sister’s interests. But rather only cares about her future goals and what she wants to do in life. While Valentina must accept them and let her get her way. In addition to this she continually teases valentine since she is the one with polyphagia out of the two. She gets scared easily and so instead of calling her by her real name she refers to her as mouse, even in public not only that but she even enjoys making her scared:” Julia was talking about an accident she had seen that morning in which a pedestrian, an older woman, had been hit by a moped… Julia knew she was afraid of crossing the streets.” Stop it. If you don’t shut up I’m going to stay home forever” (Niffehegger 114). Julia was bringing the fear