The Perfect Couple

Starting with the title of the novel, The Perfect Couple, Hildebrand deconstructs and debunks the notion of perfect couples and families. As the narrative shows, there is no such thing as perfection in love and relationships. Each of the two perfect families at the center of the narrative—the Otises and the Winburys—have flaws and secrets. While Celeste’s close relationship with her parents is warm and genuine, it also tends to be cloying and too involved. When Celeste begins dating Benji and tells him about Karen’s cancer, she reflects that her “entire relationship with her parents is too intense to explain to most people” (106). Though Celeste presents the front of being a dutiful, perfect daughter, the flip side to her devotion is that she tends to self-sacrifice. Most notably, on discovering that Karen’s cancer has returned, Celeste decides to go ahead with her unwanted wedding with Benji so that Karen can have a beautiful experience. Celeste also blames her supposedly illicit feelings for Shooter for bringing back Karen’s illness. These examples show that Celeste’s love for her parents has grown overwhelming to the point that it obstructs Celeste from considering her own feelings. Further, even the wholesome Otises have secrets from each other.