The Price of Salt (1990) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?

While groundbreaking for its era, the sexual content is largely suggestive and focuses on internal sensation rather than explicit physical mechanics. There are descriptions of a lackluster heterosexual relationship early on, where Therese Belivet feels physical aversion toward her boyfriend Richard. A later scene of physical intimacy between Therese and Carol Aird in a Waterloo hotel includes kissing, touching, and 'the fire' of passion without graphic anatomical detail. Other moments involve the sensory…

Violence is minimal and psychological rather than physical throughout the novel. The most significant threat occurs when Therese and Carol realize they are being surveilled by a private investigator named Danny McElroy. One scene involves a confrontation on a road trip where Carol pulls a gun from her luggage to intimidate the investigator, though no shots are fired and no one is physically harmed. There are moments of domestic tension between Carol and her husband Harge that imply a threat of legal and social…

The language is relatively mild by modern standards, reflecting its 1952 publication date. Occasional use of Victorian-era slurs or period-appropriate insults occurs, such as 'pansy' or 'abnormal,' used to marginalize the characters' orientations. Stronger profanity like the f-word is entirely absent from the text. Most dialogue relies on sharp wit and subtext rather than vulgarity, though characters use words like 'damn,' 'hell,' and 'bastard' during moments of high stress. The tone is formal and literary…

Alcohol consumption is pervasive, reflecting the social norms of the 1950s Manhattan and travel culture. Characters like Carol and her friend Abby frequently drink cocktails, wine, and scotch, often as a means of coping with stress, loneliness, or social awkwardness. Therese is introduced to various liquors and the ritual of the afternoon drink throughout her journey. Smoking cigarettes is also a constant presence in nearly every scene, used to punctuate dialogue and manage nerves. While there is no illicit drug…

Heavy themes include the loss of parental rights due to social 'morality' clauses, which serves as the primary conflict for Carol as she faces Harge in court. The pain of a failing marriage and the coldness of legal separation are explored in detail. Feelings of parental abandonment haunt Therese, who was shaped by her time in a boarding school away from her mother. The novel examines the intense pressure of social conformity versus personal identity in a pre-Stonewall era. Ultimately, it deals with the courage…