breathing quicken a little-to look then at him, and know how completely it was wasted" (Ross 109). Her scheme unsuccessful, Mrs. Bentley admits the motives behind inviting Judith for dinner. The only way to fully describe the dysfunctional relationship of Philip and Mrs. Bentley is through her diary.
             It is through Mrs. Bentley's narrative that the reader discovers her true nature. There is no way that another narrator can completely describe her need for Phillip: "I haven't roots of my own anymore. I'm a fungus or parasite whose life depends on him. He throws me off and I dry and wither" (Ross 151). Phillip is the world to Mrs. Bentley and she only wants his recognition: "To have him notice me, speak to me as if I really mattered in his life, after twelve years with him that's all I want or need" (Ross 16). Yet Mrs. Bentley feels guilty, she feels guilty for what she has done to Phillip, "I wished for a son again, a son that I might give back a little of what I've taken from him..." (Ross 5). Mrs. Bentley's love for Phillip is evident throughout the novel. The motive behind everything Mrs. Bentley does is for Phillip, to recover their lost love. Mrs. Bentley's narrative describes the struggles and frustrations she suffered in her dysfunctional relationship.
             Also, while most couples of the time period would spend their evenings together, recounting the day's events, discussing problems, and planning for the future, the Bentleys spend their time differently, which is greatly reflective of their relationship: "Mrs. Bentley sits alone writing her journal, brooding over her life and her marriage, while in parallel fashion, her husband sits alone in his study, voicing his reactions to his life in his
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