Blog 3

Even though times are changing, certain mindsets, perceptions and ideas on American values remain the same. Irving’s The Wife was written in the Nineteenth century but its story still resonates in 2011. Irving’s main characters deal with the core issues of marriage, finances, and the women’s role according to men. I find it rather humorous that the dilemma in the story still plagues many Americans of 2011. I find the story humorous because recently spouses all over America like Leslie had to have tough conversations with their spouses about money. The Wife seems like it could be about the Smith’s from down the street who had to move because the husband invested poorly in the stock market. I also found it interesting that even though the story suggested that Irving had a high viewpoint of women there were still some phrases that suggested that a women’s happiness was tied to wealth. For example, Leslie expresses that he does not think his wife will not be able to handle the change in lifestyle and comments that his wife will be, “brooding over a prospect of future poverty.”  The suggestion that women are only happy when they are wealthy depicts women as being shallow.After reading the story it was also clear that the husbands were the sole bread winners and women were financially dependent on their husbands. Although times are changing it seems that Irving’s The Wife is aging well.