具体描述
We sometimes speak of the Civil War as "The
War Between the States"-emphasizing the com-
plex and painful, but in many ways comic, nature
of any struggle involving combatants who are al-
ready joined together by deep bonds. The four-way
conflict between Brian and Erica Tate and their
two adolescent children is this sort of civil war-
the sort that nobody really wins. Like most such
wars, it is preceded by a period of growing tension.
Once the Tates were the nicest and most attractive
and successful family they knew, but now every-
thing is going wrong. Jerry-built new ranch homes
are surrounding their perfect house in the country,
Erica is bored and restless, Brian s career as a
political scientist is at a standstill, and their well-
behaved children have become revolting-in both
senses of the word-teenagers.
The first shots are fired when Erica discovers
that her husband is sleeping with a blond student
named Wendy. Brian tries to make peace by an-
nouncing that he is breaking off the affair, and his
wife promises to forgive him, but both fail to ob-
serve the terms of the truce. Erica frets and spies;
Brian not only takes up with Wendy again, but
makes her pregnant; and the war between the Tates
is joined.
