Journal 3# What does Irving's short story, "The Wife," say about American values regarding marriage, women, and economics?

Irving’s short story “The Wife” departs from what I believe to be true in the past- that marriage was a form of convenience. My mindset is one in which a woman marries into a family for the sake of financial stability, a shelter over her head, and basically, a job purpose in life (to be a housewife, as women were often passed for consideration with regards to any other sort of jobs available).  It is only via marriage, that a woman is made a ‘real woman’, armed with a genuine purpose in life- to take care of her husband and ensure that all his needs are met.  In addition, I was a firm believer that divorce is not an option for most woman, and the only reason why they would hold on tight to their relationship, was because they could not bear life alone, and being a married and divorced woman is tantamount to bringing shame to her own family. Similarly, it also signals a failure on her part, in living up to her socially constructed roles.

On the other hand, a man is often portrayed such that he has to be successful in all aspects of life. He has to be the sole breadwinner, the pillar of strength in the family and is responsible for providing a comfortable life for everyone who depends on him.  It is often unacceptable for a man to fall short of these predetermined expectations and Irving’s short story falls true to my mentality of how a man perceives himself. Leslie deems it a terrible “blow” (Irving 527), to have to confess to his wife that “her husband is a beggar” (Irving 527), and he fears that she would leave him upon knowledge of it. Leslie thus subscribes to conventionally predetermined roles of a man and woman, as he was so sure that having failed in leaving up to what is expected from him would render him a loss of his wife.

However, it is a call for celebration in this short story, to realize that the institution of marriage is not only one-dimensional. True love does exist, and regardless of the type of hardships that may loom in the near future, Leslie’s wife sticks by him. She proves herself to be an “angel” (528), an exemplary woman who can stand up when the occasion calls for it, and assumes the tough role that is normally only associated with the opposite gender.

Thus, role reversal is possible, as one can break down the fetters of the socially constructed positions expected from the different genders.