Why do you think Cleve takes Amory to meet his wife?

Why do you think Cleve takes Amory to meet his wife?

It is Cleve's way of saying I love you, but I could never leave my wife. He feels responsible for what happened to her and he would never be able to live with the guilt of the accident and then abandoning her. He hopes that Amory will see the situation as he does and accept it.

I believe Cleve loves both Amory and his wife. He also wants Amory to know the situation and why he cannot leave his wife. Certainly he knows Amory wants to be more then his mistress.

I'm not sure he loves Amory. Does he enjoy their relationship--sure. He wants her to see the reality --but I think it was a heartless thing to do to both women. She was in no way prepared for his wife's situation and his wife had to face one more of her husband's liasons.

I so agree. I took Cleve's actions as selfish, and cruel to both women. Kind of have my cake and eat it too. As we find out later, Cleve has a reputation of being a womanizer. His wife is trapped by her disability and Amory is trapped because of her heart. Throughout the novel Cleve operates on what is best for him.

I agree Cleve is a selfish man and does use women. I also think he begins to use his wife as his protection against having to make a commitment to another woman.

Yes, I agree with Reene--hadn't thought about that aspect but she is absolutely right. Furthermore, his wife knows it.

I agree with reene's last comment. I believe Cleve uses his wife's situation to create a safe zone for himself. He may love Amory or he may not, but he wants to be free of commitment to her even as he enjoys their relationship. His continued relationship with Amory suggests her has feelings for her - but his insistence that his wife not know when she returns to New York indicates that the wife has something of a hold on him - perhaps economic, certainly emotional (given his responsibility for her situation).I think also that Cleve's wife is aware of the way he is using her, and that that fact explains something of her reaction to Amory and her general worldview.

Cleve wants to get everything out into the open. He wants Amory to understand that their affair is a situation that will not result in marriage and that she should continue in the affair knowing that he was honest with her about his intentions.

I agree with the posters above- he wants her to see why he will never leave his wife (whom I also believe he still loves and feels tremendous quilt about) and also he uses this opportunity to draw in the sand - you can only have so much of me because - well you see...

He thinks that being upfront with Amory makes his behaviour all "okay" , makes him less of a cad ....it also throws the responsibility back on Amory - now that she sees the situation she is the one who has to decide whether or not to continue with the affair.

Because he can--pure and simple. He knows his wife can do nothing about it, except that she does in her own little ways, like telling Amory "she won't be the last" in Cleve's long line of women. Reminded me, in a way, of Hepburn and Tracy--they loved each other, albeit unevenly, with Tracy's catholicism a convenient escuse, like the wheelchair, for staying married.

Cleve took Amory to meet his wife to show both of them that he could "have his cake and eat it too," as that old saw goes. He wanted his wife's money and prestige and the excitement of his affair with Amory. For some men especially but also women, one relationship isn't enough. Cleve also was compelled to have yet another affair at the same time, as Amory discovered.

I think he is a selfish man who wants it all. He is willing to help Amory with jobs and other ways. Introducing her to his wife was saying I'll never marry you. She, overall, had terrible taste in men.

Cleve's wife clearly knows that her husband has been a serial cheater since the accident - she puts 2 + 2 together quickly and, therefore, humiliates Amory in the process. Cleve could have easily disclosed these facts to Amory early on in their affair so bringing Amory to his house to discover this information about his wife and to, simultaneously, passive aggressively flaunt his affair was cruel and selfish to both women. But I also don't have much sympathy for a woman that is having an affair and agrees to such an invitation.

I felt torn about this bc on one hand, it seemed like a way to show Amory that though he loved her, he would never be free...bring me to the second point, that it almost felt like he wanted her pity? He seemed to like being a dramatic, almost tragic figure, tied to a dependent woman he no longer loved. I don't know, I just think he liked the drama of it, and that it left him w/no need to make big choices in his life; by keeping life and marriage as-is, he could coast by w/his secret girlfriends and also come off as a hero in public.

I also agree that Cleve was cruel and selfish to have Amory and his wife meet. As alissac stated he likes the drama of balancing a wife and girlfriend in his life and not having to make any choices or decisions when it comes to them. Amory has a choice about this affair, I don't know if his wife does.