Theme and message

Relationship conflicts

The main theme explored by Kate Vine in the short story “Beautiful Things” is relationship conflicts. 

The conflict between the narrator and Tom emerges after Tom’s revelation about his feelings for Ashley, one of his co-workers. Tom decides to be honest with the narrator and confesses his feelings for another woman, adding that he wants to explore an open relationship. The narrator is confused and does not know how to respond, which leads to her being tense around Tom and questioning the reality of their relationship. 

The conflict between the two later makes the narrator act on impulse and have sex with the estate agent. It is unclear whether she sees this as a sort of revenge against Tom, or simply as a way to explore some of the same things that Tom seems to want. 

At the end, we get the sense tha...