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The Three Weissmanns of Westport


"Schine's homage to Jane Austen has it all....A sparkling, crisp, clever, deft, ...
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Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Created: 08/15/11

Replies: 22

Posted Aug. 15, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarahd

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 84

Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Why does Joseph prefer Felicity to Betty? Do you think Joseph chose Felicity for Felicity or because she was young and made him feel young?


Posted Aug. 15, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
maxined

Join Date: 08/14/11

Posts: 6

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Really!! Joseph, like many men of his age was entranced by the notion that a much younger, attractive woman would single him out. It's the old ploy of ambitious women to snare older prosperous men....He was flattered and manipulated. I don't think that he realized what he was giving up until it was too late.


Posted Aug. 15, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
debracoley

Join Date: 08/11/11

Posts: 69

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

What a great question! I certainly got the feeling that although he thought he loved Felicity, he honestly
did not LIKE her. When he thought of the past he shared with Betty, I got the impression that their
relationship began as a friendship, based on respect which grew into love. They truly enjoyed each other and the "trips" they made during their marriage. Betty was a lady- a true lady, unlike Felicity who thought money would help her to evolve into one. Between the rain, Frederick's added chaos, and the
divorce settlement, the Felicity "cocoon" failed to produce a butterfly - Josie realizes it, but it is too late - Betty is gone.


Posted Aug. 15, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
pennyn's Gravatar
pennyn

Join Date: 10/21/10

Posts: 23

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Like most men of his age Josie liked how the sexy "arm candy" made his groin feel and how other men looked at him.


Posted Aug. 16, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
annettes

Join Date: 04/15/11

Posts: 35

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

At first Joseph thought he liked and loved her enough to leave Betty. However, as he got to know Felicity better and live with her he realized that he had made a terrible mistake. When Betty died it was too late for him to ask her for forgiveness. His relationship with Miranda and Annie will never be the same.


Posted Aug. 16, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarahd

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 84

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I actually didn't buy the Felicity-Joseph relationship. It's clear that Joseph wanted something else - something more exciting - but I didn't get how that meant Felicity. Felicity seemed stodgy and "old" in her own way, not fun and up for anything like Betty. It was hard for me to believe that Joseph could see her nastiness and be ok with it. He was definitely thoughtless and self-centered enough to have an affair and leave his wife, but I didn't see him being thoughtless and unaware enough to be with someone like Felicity. What did he really get out of that relationship besides being able to SAY that he was with a younger woman?


Posted Aug. 16, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dlpiano

Join Date: 08/14/11

Posts: 27

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I agree with sarad about not "really buying" the Felicity-Joseph relationship. I tried to rationalize the relationship, thinking Joseph wasn't well himself--maybe a little dementia, diabetes, etc. Their home life (before Felicity) seemed so well rounded and quite frankly fun! How sad the family lost those last precious months together. I also agree with annettes--the relationship between Joseph, Miranda and Annie will never be the same.


Posted Aug. 16, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
audreg

Join Date: 07/16/11

Posts: 5

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I agree with dlpiano that Joseph seemed ill with dementia or something. He was manipulated by Felicity who wanted his money. She had saved his business and he was grateful for that. Joseph did not seem the kind of man Betty, Annie and Miranda could love and respect as much as they did.


Posted Aug. 16, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joanw

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 61

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I agree with Maxined - I too feel Josie didn't really understand what he was giving up - when a
younger woman pays attention and flatters an older man they just wilt - I've seen it happen.


Posted Aug. 17, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joycew

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 107

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

The older man falling for a younger woman happens alot. The younger woman is usually very manipulative which Felicity was. Her discussion of the apartment being way too much work and bother for Betty is a perfect example of twisting things so Joseph thinks he is doing a favor to Betty by keeping it himself. (This is where I question: How dumb can you get?) He liked what Felicity represented and the falling in love again and receiving compliments and being important to someone. It was all an illusion but now that Betty is gone he has to have someone (most men cannot handle being alone).


Posted Aug. 17, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
debrav

Join Date: 08/16/11

Posts: 30

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I don't think that the Joseph/Felicity relationship was clear -- maybe on purpose? Because, does it really matter -- Josie is having an "end of life" crisis and his wife gets to pick up the pieces. Might be a new type of fiction for the baby boomers, instead of "mid life" we now have "end of life" crisis to read about. Since most of us will suffer from some type of dementia valid reasons for unhappiness are unnecessary!


Posted Aug. 18, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Wendy

Join Date: 07/17/11

Posts: 8

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I thought Felicity chose him and he was essentially painted as the weak man who had no other choice but to follow her lead. I agree that their relationship needed a bit more "fleshing" out. Though I do think it was realistic that he was still able to love Betty for their relationship before Felicity got involved.


Posted Aug. 19, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
christinek

Join Date: 04/17/11

Posts: 5

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I don't think that Joseph really had a backbone until the end when he did not allow Felicity to attend the funeral. Betty kept his life full and interesting---but there were things that he did like about Felicity and though, in the end, he may have seen her aggression, he went along with it.


Posted Aug. 20, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dave s

Join Date: 05/19/11

Posts: 20

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

It's a little hard to tell since his character is not that well developed, but presumably he is infatuated with someone who is younger than himself (i.e. mid-life crisis). He is obviously a weak, immature man who doesn't think beyond the present.


Posted Aug. 25, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Jan Mays

Join Date: 07/16/11

Posts: 13

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I think Joseph liked the idea of Felicity. She made him feel younger, powerful, and admired. I'm not sure he liked the man he became when he got involved with Felicity. However, he was probably too embarrassed to admit what a mistake he had made and tried to make the best of a bad decision that I'm sure he regretted forever.


Posted Aug. 29, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cathyh

Join Date: 04/20/11

Posts: 2

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I don't think Joseph really liked Felicity. It was the idea of her that he liked. She was young and made him feel that way. He was enthralled and enchanted with a manipulative younger woman.


Posted Aug. 31, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janen

Join Date: 06/01/11

Posts: 54

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I think that he liked the idea of having a younger woman by his side, that's all. She was shallow and manipulative, and he never really caught on until the end. How sad. Many men behave as did, it's an old story.


Posted Sep. 01, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lynneb

Join Date: 08/23/11

Posts: 118

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I felt that the story did not provide enough insight into Joseph's feelings about much of anything except maybe a bit of sorrow for the loss of his "daughters" and some second thoughts on ditching his wife. He seemed to be more the typical middle aged man who looks for "greener grass on the other side" or was becoming bored with his comfortable life and got easily snagged by the type of woman we see with Felicity. I believe it was she who called Amber a "gold digger". I think Felicity was the gold digger!


Posted Sep. 01, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janen

Join Date: 06/01/11

Posts: 54

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Both Amber and Felicity were gold diggers. Both were trying to snag clueless men. We know that Amber din't succeed but were never told what happened to Felicity and Joe.


Posted Sep. 01, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarahd

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 84

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

Good point, LynneB and JaneN! I definitely thought that the way Felicity treated/reacted to Amber was hilarious AND ironic. They play the same role, but, of course, Felicity thinks she's better than Amber and not like her at all.


Posted Sep. 04, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bettyt

Join Date: 05/12/11

Posts: 228

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I think she was just a momentary boost to his ego. She made him feel young again. Nothing original about that.


Posted Sep. 14, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sharon54220

Join Date: 08/11/11

Posts: 5

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I didn't like Felicity at all. She was a user from the very beginning, plain and simple. She was out to get what she could, and not let anyone stop her.


Posted Sep. 18, 2011 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
marymargaretf

Join Date: 09/05/11

Posts: 42

RE: Did Joseph really like Felicity?

I don't think that he knew what hit him. Felicity manipulated him to end his marriage and she continued this tactic successfully throughout the book. Every time I thought that Joseph would come to his senses, Felicity steered him in the direction she wanted. I don't think he really liked her, but I do think that he was under her spell.


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