Journal #3

Irving's short story "The Wife" portrayed women and the American ideals in a way that I think is still thought of today. He talks about them in a way that makes the wife seem to be very delicate and emotional. He says that men need a wife and children so they have someone to share their accomplishments with and to have someone to comfort him when he fails. It makes the wife seem like she has no other job but to sit there at home and please her husband and make him feel good about himself. Leslie makes it seem that although he is completely in love with his wife, Mary, that she is so caught up in her social life and living a luxurious lifestyle that when he tells her they have lost all of their money she will hate him. He is so unhappy for so long because he is afraid to tell Mary their financial situation and he is worried it will break her heart. This shows how in America social and economic status is valued so high that people forget that people love them for who they are, not what they can give them. Finally when Leslie decided to tell his wife that they are poor, he is completely perplexed that she is so happy living a simple life and being with her husband who she loves dearly. I think this story is a good wakeup call to many Americans who are so focused on getting richer, climbing the social ladder and being extremely competitive they forget what is really important. Although some people may have more riches than others, at the end of the day those don't matter and if you are in love with your family and appreciative for all that you have you will be the most happy.