Marital infidelity is at the center of this novels plot, but to limit the novel to only that aspect would miss the mark. There is much to be learned from Ginny and Jess's affair, not the least of which is that Ginny didn't realize until it was happening how badly she wanted to be with Jess. What does that reveal about Ginny? That she is sometimes out of tune with herself, so that she doesn't know exactly what she wants. Therefore, the plot is both about fidelity and commitment, but it is also about personal growth, honesty, and self-actualization.
Larry isn't exactly a role model as well. He is often emotional and lacks self-control, and Rose tells Ginny some confusing news about her own past with Larry—that Larry molested her as a child. In light of this, as well as Larry's sly, predatory relationships to the other women in his life (Like his coworkers), Ginny's indiscretion can be seen for more than the one-sided interpretation about fidelity. In other words, this story is not about Ginny cheating on her husband nearly as much as it is about Ginny slowly coming to terms with the ways she settled in life.
The family issues don't settle themselves, and throughout the novel, as Ginny deals with Larry through the courts, having finally separated from him in herself, she also explores the reality of her past. Why didn't she notice that Larry was a sexual predator? Perhaps there was fear in her young life about self-worth, and having a man in her life helped to alleviate that, so she settled on whoever would fill that role, but it seems Larry was more of a parasite than a husband, and this is evident in the final image, Rose in her depression, a reminder of the real consequences of Larry's actions, which he never seems to consider.
