"The Student's Wife" by Raymond Carver

When I first read this short story, I felt that the student and his wife were a happy couple. Then, I was introduced to the demands of the wife. Even though I initially felt that her demands were a little too much, I realized that they were a stereotypical long-married couple - the wife constantly wanted more attention that the husband was too tired to give. I was engaged in her stories of her dream, of their young marriage and her desires. I felt that she was loved when her husband fixed her a sandwich despite being tired and listen (inattentively) to the story of her dream. I felt that she was neglected as she tried harder to have her husband engaged by engaging him in talking about their past. After the unsuccessful try, I felt sorry for her when she expressed her desires that seemed to be unfulfilled. Her sleepy husband's reaction amplified my empathy towards her.

In life, many a times, we could not get what we want, but we constantly tried to obtain them. We used different ways to get what we want. In the case of the wife, she utilized several ways to get her husband's attention. From her gestures and her stories, I came to know more about her life and her personalities. The short story was set up in a fluid manner as the plot was slowly laid to describe a long night.

However, the unexpected twist at the ending of the story gave the story a different flavor. I thought that I knew the wife's characteristics from her previous actions, but I was disproved towards the end of the story! It subtly reminded me that not everything (in life) could be easily predicted. After her (protective) husband fell asleep, the wife was very aware of her surrounding and she realized that this was no longer a dream. She was afraid and she began to see the reality - her problems! Her friends were inexistent, her love life was lack of pleasure, her son and her husband did not have proper suits and her family's bills were unpaid. With the rise of the sun, she began to clearly see them.

At this point, I began to see the reason behind the wife's longings and attachment to her dreams and her past memories. She was running away from the harsh real world! This story was real and relatable. Even though the main theme was subtly presented, it was presented so realistically that it continued to float at the back of my mind, even after I put the story away for a day now.