journal #3

In "The Wife" Irving reveals the true meaning behind marriage. He shows to the world the kind of teamwork an American marriage consists of and how family is important to our country then and now. I believe that when comparing the American marriage to the British marriage it is based more on love and companionship, opposed to it being a legal transaction. Here he reveals how the wife can save the husband, his burdens are shared with her. So economically speaking the wife should be willing to do what it takes to help the husband. And if they are working as a team and have a foundation of love this is easily achieved. Irving stresses the fact that family is important to Americans and that a true and happy marriage is the basis of that family. I think that this is still true of American values today; and although things have changed quite a bit in the dating world, there are still hopeless romantics out there who just want to live the American dream we all grew up knowing.