Is Harry`s „big mistake“ the real reason for Gina`s decision to leave him or is it just an excuse?
...or and by that expanding her cultural knowledge in her beloved Japan just for beeing a good housewife and caring mother(unlike her father). Thus the fact for Gina leaving the houes is not Harry`s sexual betrayal but rather her unsatisfying personal situation and some greater trust Harry has broken. Unlike Gina Harry comes from an old-fashioned nuclear family which she adores maybe because she now appreciates a „real“ family life which she tries to addopt into her own little family. Unfortunatelly she more an more discoveres the difficulties one is faced with when beeing the head of a traditionally family ( „ Gina could never be cavalier about an ordinary family. It wasn`t in her.“ pg. 33) Coincidently (or not) the next time Gina appears in the plot after Harry`s one-night stand she is crying and desperate about realizing that she can neither be the mother ( „ She (Harry`s mother) is so good with Pat...I`ll never be like her. ...I want to be, I really do. But just wanting something doesn`t make it true.“ pg. 45) nor be the woman ( „...at home- nobody to talk to but a little boy...“ pg. 45) she wanted to be. The reason for the author to choose this course of action underlines that at this point of time Gina`s need for a change – regardless of Harry`s actions. The author gives several hints that Gina often regrets having given up her career to care for her family and never finding a new life in beeing a housewife. Crying she feels the need of justifying her staying home (pg. 20: „ What`s wrong with being a woman who stays home with her kid ?“) ironically asking Harry for some sushi after work, indicating that she never forgot about her dismissed chance in Japan- where she had „ the happiest year in her life...“ (pg. 19). T...