Loyalty In Astronomer's Wife

According to Dave Willis “A strong marriage requires loving your spouse even in those moments when they aren’t being lovable; it means believing in them even when they struggle to believe in themselves”. Kay Boyle’s Astronomer’s Wife displays the lack of loyalty for her marriage. It is shown at the end of the story that Mrs. Ames shows no restraint for the plumber. Mrs. Ames’ ethics now come to play because she was about to make an unjust choice. As the plumber follows the pipes down the pathway “the astronomer’s wife stood up, fixed a pin in her hair, and turned around towards the kitchen” (Boyle Pg. 148). She then tells the servant “When Mr. Ames gets up, please tell him I’ve gone down” (Boyle Pg. 151). Astronomer’s Wife is a story of a

Ames saw the plumber as man of perfection, someone who was strong and everything she wanted in a man. She could not see her husband being that kind of guy for her. They were giving each other clues that they would like to keep the flirting going. The plumber stated “I’m going to follow the ground pipe out right to the torrent, the troubles between here and there and I’ll find it on my way.” (Boyle Pg. 151). Mrs. Ames was deeply moved with affection with what the plumber was saying that she made the decision to enter the traps with him. Mrs. Ames character displays a fix of feelings in the beginning because she wanted to keep her marriage. At the same time she saw a man that is giving her everything she ever wanted and that her husband had stopped doing. She was attracted to the physical body of the plumber. Mrs. Ames state of mind was right, that she was willing to go forward with the plumber knowing what it would lead up to. She wanted to have that feeling of attraction to a man. Mrs. Ames is a symbol of what most people go through in life. Being in a relationship the person you are with does not care as much as you do. The character gives up her time to keep the relationship going. At the time she was mentally tired until the plumber came and set a spark back into her. Her loyalty at the time was to her marriage, but he went away due to the events of the plumber. He gave her the excitement of meeting other people. Mrs. Ames came full circle with her live understanding that there are other people that may have the same interest as you. In order to make a marriage work others have to give the same energy as you