"But I now think what I was doing, in a completely unconscious way, was getting off the turf where my husband and I might be rivals. We were both working in fiction... so I look back and I see that I consciously vacated the contested ground"

In this quote, author Helen Garner assesses her past actions and understands that she had been automatically avoiding competition with her hubby. Both of them were working in the same field of fiction writing, and Garner had actually subconsciously chosen to step away from that "contested ground" in order to prevent any possible rivalry in between them. Recalling, she recognizes that she had intentionally abandoned that space in order to preserve a harmonious relationship with her hubby. This quote highlights the complexities of relationships and the methods which people might browse their own aspirations and desires in order to keep peace and consistency within their partnerships.