The Beach Bum: 10 Tricky Philosophical Questions It Raises

Academic writing on the subject refers to monogamy as a "mating system," a dry definition that takes pretty much all the fun out of sex. Moondog and Millie, on the other hand, refuse to stop having fun. They've mated and bred, but they still engage in sexual encounters with any decent-looking person who comes their way.

Various sources differ on whether this is a healthy way to live. Some maintain that monogamy is unnatural, yet still preferable. Others cite evidence that leads to conflicting answers regarding whether monogamy is natural or not. Some anthropological evidence suggests it may even be in our best interest to sleep around a bit.

Millie and Moondog, who have never technically declared an open relationship, seem equally conflicted. Both Millie and Lingerie express guilt over sleeping around behind Moondog's back. Moondog is hurt when he first discovers their affair, even though he's had several of his own. Ultimately, however, Moondog doesn't let his initial disappointment stand in the way of his love for Millie. He only cares that she loves him back, and he's able to accept that she does.

His acceptance eventually grows to the point that Moondog is able to share an explicit conversation with Lingerie about Millie's sexual appetite. It soon gets to be too much, and he has to cut it short; however, his preference to refrain from hearing all the details doesn't change his acceptance of the fact that Millie was an openly sexual being. Even for a man whose poetry describes the love he feels for his wife when he looks at his penis after sex, love and sex are not necessarily synonymous.