And the two shall become one...

“The Wife” by Irving displays the importance of marriage and women in America.  Marriage and women are a vital aspect of life in America because the companionship in marriage with a woman provides not only support and comfort for her husband, but she also provides an uplifting and tender spirit.  Men and women are different in multiple ways, but in the context of marriage, they balance each other out in a way that cannot be described. Irving displays the fact that a man needs the companionship of a woman to get through each day and especially during the hard times in life. He states, “I have observed that married men falling into misfortune, are more apt to retrieve their situation in the world than single men” (526).  The support system that is in the context of marriage is unlike any other.  However, it is interesting that Irving has this stance on women during this time period because women did not have the same rights as men.  “The Wife” presents women as a necessity in life for men and demonstrates the need and importance of marriage in American society. 

Irving also addresses the economic issue at hand in “The Wife” with the story of Leslie.  At the beginning, Leslie was ashamed of his circumstances and did not want anyone to know the predicament he was in, especially his wife. But after talking to his friend and then his wife, by the end of the story he realizes that sharing his struggles with others and having a support system was more important than being embarrassed about his circumstances.  This shows the value that Americans have for working hard and overcoming adversity with the support of others.  Irving shows that relationships are vital in overcoming economic adversity. I also think that this concept relates back to the Bible and the importance of marriage that is displayed throughout the Old Testament and New Testament.  The idea that the two become one is demonstrated in "The Wife" in many ways and this would relate to the people reading during this time period because life was centered on the Bible.