56 pages • 1 hour read
The Husbands
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Symbols & Motifs
The Attic
Early in the novel, it becomes clear to Lauren that the attic is the portal through which the husbands appear and disappear, though the exact means by which this happens remains mysterious. As Lauren explores the attic from a distance, she discovers that electrical elements behave there. She cannot explain the reason for this and—in keeping with the conventions of magical realism—accepts this function as a given, not further questioning it.
Because the flat is owned by Lauren’s sister, she has an emotional connection to it that she would not otherwise have were she merely renting the flat from a stranger. She comes to believe that each of the husbands is specially chosen for her. As she discovers that a husband can never return from the attic—if he ascends, he is always replaced by a different man—Lauren understands that the “rules” of the attic are consistent and reliable. She never attempts to explain the phenomenon to any of the husbands and instead takes advantage of the ability to reject husbands without any emotional fallout simply by requesting that they enter the attic. This gives Lauren a sense of power and control over her destiny, as well as the belief that she can situate herself in such a way as to achieve the ideal marriage. When Carter—the husband Lauren likes best of all—enters the attic of his own volition, Lauren recognizes that she must take steps to prevent husbands from entering the attic accidentally.
Ultimately, however, the attic prevents Lauren from moving forward in her life. Because she can easily replace every imperfect husband with a different one, always imagining that the perfect husband is around the corner, she is unable to establish a satisfying bond with anyone. Only by destroying the attic can Lauren take back her own agency.
“Buddy” the Plant
Fairly early in the novel, Lauren comes across a large plant in a shop that catches her attention. Having never been skilled with plants, she passes it by, regarding it as too expensive and not meant for her. However, without intending to, Lauren indirectly acquires and retains some knowledge about gardening through Jason. She carries this knowledge with her from husband to husband, occasionally applying it without consciously meaning to. When she decides to splurge on the large plant at last, it symbolizes her ability to satisfy her desires in the moment rather than worrying about long-term consequences—for example, the high cost of the plant and the worry that it will eventually die. As she cycles through more and more husbands, however, the plant remains present, though other possessions come and go through the “resets.” Lauren takes great comfort in this consistency. Her naming the plant indicates that she regards it as one would a friend or companion, as a reliable and trustworthy presence in her life.
Buddy exists as a kind of foil to the tiny potted succulent. Both come to serve the same purpose for Lauren—a connection to her past, though the succulent is humble and undignified in comparison to Buddy’s elaborate splendor. The succulent connects Lauren to the person she was and the life she lived before the husbands, while Buddy connects her to the recent past, rooting her to herself in a world that is unstable and ever-changing. In this way, Buddy becomes symbolic of Lauren herself—shedding leaves but growing new ones in a manner that parallels the way Lauren adapts and grows with each husband. That Buddy is one of the few items Lauren intentionally spares from the fire at the novel’s close speaks to its psychological value to her.
The Succulent
On the night of Elena’s bachelorette party, Lauren and the other women paint small clay pots into which they plant succulents. The pot is meant as a kind of memento and reminder of the night, which itself signifies the end of Elena’s single life and the beginning of her new, married life. When Lauren arrives home to find a man in her house, it is the succulent she looks to as proof that the bachelorette party did indeed occur and that she is not merely dreaming. As Lauren cycles through the first few husbands, she learns that aspects of her life change with each new husband—at times, this includes the physical possessions she owns. In some lives, the small succulent is not present, and in others it is. When it is, the pot serves as a source of security for Lauren—a reminder of her past, stable life. Reminding herself of the plant’s presence becomes a way to anchor herself to who she truly is, to the life she lived before the attic began to constantly “reset” her life. As Lauren learns how the attic functions, she often uses the succulent’s presence as a kind of barometer to gauge her husbands. If it is present, she regards this as a positive sign of the current husband’s viability. As the novel continues, its presence shifts to a connection to the person she was before the attic—a talisman to root her to the person she intends to be.
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