The Fisherman and His Wife
Nadia Wu Modern World Literature
2721 Section 1
The Fisherman’s Return I paced about anxiously as I waited for his return. How am I going to tell him the news? How would he react? What would he have to say? These thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to figure out a way to break the news gently to him. My husband was not known for being the most complacent person in our village. His terrible fits of anger had the tendency to bring a few of our neighbors to our doorstep a few times too many. Yet, when he was not so temperamental, he was a loving husband and he did take good care of me. He is an extremely hard-working man and he does try his level best to maintain our household, but regardless of that, his constant absence will continue to be a strain on our marriage. He spent most of his time at sea, engaged in an occupation that was extremely dangerous, so that he could have the money to run our household. There are times when I do not see him for days and weeks at a stretch but I am expected to come to terms with this and be the “dutiful wife” that I am expected to be. There are times when I wonder why my parents forced me into such a marriage, a marriage in which they knew I would be lonely in. Perhaps if I had not listened to the elders I might have not been in such a situation, standing here, waiting for my husband to return after being away for four days. All at once I heard a knock on the door. “Is anybody home?” I heard my husband call out. The familiarity of his voice sent a resonating feeling of fear throughout my entire body. I was clearly not prepared to face him but I had no choice but to do so. “I’m in here! I was preparing some food for dinner” I said, walking towards him to greet him. The last of four days had clearly not been kind to him. He looked even more worn out and tired than before, which I had not thought possible. Yet, as soon as he saw me, his whole face lit up and he at once embraced me. This man, beneath his
2721 Section 1
The Fisherman’s Return I paced about anxiously as I waited for his return. How am I going to tell him the news? How would he react? What would he have to say? These thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to figure out a way to break the news gently to him. My husband was not known for being the most complacent person in our village. His terrible fits of anger had the tendency to bring a few of our neighbors to our doorstep a few times too many. Yet, when he was not so temperamental, he was a loving husband and he did take good care of me. He is an extremely hard-working man and he does try his level best to maintain our household, but regardless of that, his constant absence will continue to be a strain on our marriage. He spent most of his time at sea, engaged in an occupation that was extremely dangerous, so that he could have the money to run our household. There are times when I do not see him for days and weeks at a stretch but I am expected to come to terms with this and be the “dutiful wife” that I am expected to be. There are times when I wonder why my parents forced me into such a marriage, a marriage in which they knew I would be lonely in. Perhaps if I had not listened to the elders I might have not been in such a situation, standing here, waiting for my husband to return after being away for four days. All at once I heard a knock on the door. “Is anybody home?” I heard my husband call out. The familiarity of his voice sent a resonating feeling of fear throughout my entire body. I was clearly not prepared to face him but I had no choice but to do so. “I’m in here! I was preparing some food for dinner” I said, walking towards him to greet him. The last of four days had clearly not been kind to him. He looked even more worn out and tired than before, which I had not thought possible. Yet, as soon as he saw me, his whole face lit up and he at once embraced me. This man, beneath his