Pru has an interaction with Arlo in which she discloses information about his parents. Also, she approaches Anne, Walter’s ex-wife, on the street and tells her that she knows her ex-husband. Were these appropriate actions?

After Arlo told Sarah that Pru broke up his parents’ marriage, Pru told Arlo that the only reason his father married his mother was because she was pregnant. Should she have been the one to disclose this to Arlo? How do you think it affected him? Pru told Anne that she knows her ex-husband and her two sons. Since she had never met Anne, should Pru have done this? What does this tell us about Pru’s state of mind?

Both of these were quite awkward and, in my opinion, inappropriate. But I think they reflected the unconscious desire of Pru to be seen and recognized in her own right, something she ceded first with her marriage and focus on Spence's career and then later as she became consumed with his care. In both instances, her revelations probably caused anxiety. It seems that Arlo's was probably the more damaging of the two since he already has abandonment issues. In Anne's case, it's less clear, especially since she and Walter are no longer married - but still odd.

I think it was okay for Pru to correct Arlo about the misinformation that his mother had given him because it affected his relationship with Pru and Spence. I thought it was a bit odd to go up to Walter’s ex on the street but not really wrong.

I thought it was very wrong that Pru approached Walter’s ex-wife. I was divorced many years ago. If a strange woman had ever walked up to me and mentioned that she knew my ex I would not have been pleased. I also think she was wrong in the info she told Arlo. She could have easily just told him that she was not the cause of them breaking up.

Sometimes it is difficult to know what the “right” action might be. There is the belief or thought that the truth must be told. Then, there is the saying that it is not your story to tell. After Pru told Arlo that his parents married because his mother was pregnant, Arlo felt that he was a mistake.

Pru probably shouldn’t have told Arlo that his parents married due to pregnancy, but Arlo certainly annoyed and even hurt her with his comments, so maybe she was goaded into saying it. Still, she was the adult in the exchange - though maybe she didn’t realize how it would make Arlo feel? And she was defending herself. As to approaching Walter’s wife, it seemed like an impulsive thing to do and she hadn’t really thought it through, but not that big of a deal.

I felt Pru’s approaching Anne was totally inappropriate and I think it speaks to Pru’s state of mind. I don’t think Pru was emotionally ready to date. She was acting possessive in a relationship that was inchoate at best. Regarding Arlo, I often felt as if I wanted to step into the story and “ set Arlo straight” about his mother and father’s relationship, primarily how hard Spence tried to spend time with him but was repeatedly blocked by Linda. I felt that Arlo deserved to know the truth, and that by sparing Arlo’s feelings Spence was allowing Linda to further damage a relationship that could be Arlo’s salvation. That being said, I don’t think Pru was right to tell Arlo that bit if news. I do think Spence should have sat him down and explained as diplomatically as possible why his marriage to Linda failed but that he, Arlo, was the best thing to come from it. He should also have addressed when he met Pru so she was less likely to be in Arlo’s crosshairs. Since Spence seemed to leave so much unsaid he left Linda to be the gospel and that left Pru hanging out to dry.

I don't think it was right for Pru to tell Arlo about Linda and Spence, but she should have talked with Spence when the issue came up and had Spence tell the story. I think that Pru caused Arlo to be resentful of having Pru divulge the info, and had Spence stepped in, and given him the truth. It would have certainly caused Arlo to look at both SPence and Pru differently, more positively.
Pru approaching Anne was completely inappropriate, and it really made me angry because it was so spiteful. It seemed like she wanted to hurt Anne and Walter after she had seen how Walter took care of Anne.

I don’t think it was appropriate in either situation. Although Pru wanted to correct Arlo’s misconceptions, I still do not think it was appropriate. As far as her discussion with Anne, I thought it was rude and spiteful and not something that Pru should have said. I wasn’t sure why the author put the integration into the storyline other than to show that Pru under certain circumstances was not the compassionate person we first thought her to be.

I agree with many of the comments above. I don't think Pru's actions were appropriate with either situation. And I was quite surprised and disappointed in Pru. But the more I think about it, even when we think we know someone, we may not. And we just can't predict how someone may react in a particular situation. In that respect, the story felt more truthful and honest and not so predictable.

Pru was acting in a defensive manner and out of control. She should never had said what she said to Arlo. It was like two kids having a dispute, except that some things cannot be taken back, and should not be said. She totally crossed the line.

I definitely don't think she should have approached Anne. They had never met and at that point she was kind of stalking Walter, so inappropriate. In regard to Arlo, I think he needed to know at least part of the truth, that Pru wasn't part of the picture until after Spence and Linda were divorced. But she could have left out the rest of it as it made Arlo feel unwanted, and really wasn't knowledge he needed to have.

I have no idea what he reasoning was in approaching Walter's ex wife. She may have wanted to know there was any feeling left between them. It was, however, totally out of line and she should not have done it. I believe it was alright for her to tell Arlo she was not the reason for the marriage break up. She definitely could have done it in a better way. She may have just explained there were problems because of their different life styles. I believe in her present state she wanted to hurt others.

I think Pru was just confused and upset at her life circumstances and it made her act inappropriately towards others. Especially going up and talking to Walters wife in the street...I could understand her correcting Arlo on some misinformation that he might have had about his parents, but it was still hurtful to him. Maybe she was just trying to make other people hurt a little bit since she was hurting so much.

Give Pru a break. She has more than one life changing twist thrown at her after another. First that Spence has a son by a first wife that she never heard about. Second, he was carrying his own shame at growing up in a family of refugees. Then Arlo has his own issued based upon his mother and his father's inability to just accept him for who he is. Then S pence is diagnosed with dementia. And then when she meets Walter she realizes that he also feels obligated to a former spouse. Without Ginnie she could not have managed it all and stay on her feet. Annie and Walter were not living together I think she was shook up that he still maintained a sense of obligation to her but she was not ready to move on from Spence either. I hope both of them end up together and have some happiness. They both deserve it. Just as Spence deserved to be taken care of and valued by Pru until the end. It allowed everybody else to begin plotting a new course for their relationships without feeling resentment.

I think both incidents were wrong choices. Did not show, in my opinion, Pru in a positive light. These were selfish decisions on her part. Needlessly hurting.