Adrienne Rich (16 May 1929 – 27 March 2012 / Baltimore, Maryland)

While some may view that the sin referenced in Rich's 'Living in Sin' refers to adultery, it is rather about the sin of staying in a marriage that lacks love. While the milkman is a colorful piece of evidence, it throws readers off, assuming that Rich refers to 'sin' in a literal term. The woman in 'Living in Sin' is thrust upon the reality that happiness and perfection are not always guaranteed, and pursues the adulterous consequences of a mundane marriage and life. As she cannot bear to remove herself from the demeaning and repetitive cycle of marriage, 'Living in Sin' is a woman's revelation that it is a sin to dedicate oneself to a marriage, a life, without love.