The Rift: Marriage and Divorce Insights

Study Notes

The story begins with a couple, Ted and the narrator, arguing about whether the narrator should accompany Ted on a dermatology course in Los Angeles.
Ted says the narrator can't make up her mind about anything and that nothing is important to her.
In a fit of anger, Ted accuses the narrator of saying "I do" to marriage without thinking and asks her what she would have done with her life if he had never married her.
The narrator feels a chasm separating them and thinks their argument is pointless.
Later that evening, Ted calls the narrator from Los Angeles and tells her he wants a divorce.

The narrator reflects on her marriage with Ted and how the divorce feels like a "violent" blow.
She realizes she can't rely on anyone, including her husband, mother, or God, to save her.
The narrator's mother is a devout Christian and believes in God's will.
The narrator initially thought her mother said "fate" instead of "faith" because she couldn't pronounce the "th" sound properly.
The narrator comes to believe that faith might be an illusion of control and that hope is the most she can have.

The narrator believes that fate is shaped half by expectation and half by inattention.
She reflects on her own inattention to the signs in her marriage and how she let things happen.
She also thinks about Bing Hsu, a friend whom she knew was in danger but didn't try to save.

Bing Hsu's name is written in pencil in a Bible belonging to the narrator's mother under the heading "Deaths."

The narrator's mother has a strong influence on her through her words.
She once told the narrator that ghosts were circling near their windows and that doors would unlock themselves at night.
The narrator believed these things to be true because of her mother's strong conviction.
The narrator reflects that she used to believe everything her mother said, even when she didn't understand.

The narrator shares the story of her mother losing faith in God.
She remembers the day when her family went to the beach south of the city.
Her father, a pharmacist's assistant who used to be a doctor in China, believed in his “nengkan,” which means ability in Chinese.
Her mother also believed in her “nengkan,” which was her ability to cook anything her husband could catch.
This belief in their "nengkan" had brought them to America and had helped them achieve success in life. They believed they had God on their side, their ancestors were pleased, and their lucky streak would never break.
Their family went to the beach to catch ocean perch.
They were confident as they marched along the beach in single file, from oldest to youngest.
The narrator was fourteen years old at the time.
They were a sight to behold, nine pairs of bare feet trudging, shoes in hand, all gazing at the waves.
The narrator was trying to find a spot where the sand wouldn't kick into her eyes.
She saw they were standing in the hollow of a cove, which created a protective shelter from the waves.