The Wife's Story Literary Devices

Sometimes things aren’t always as they appear. In The Wife’s Story by Ursula K. Le Guin, a woman meets and falls in love with a man, becoming the father to their children, who at first, was seen as hard working, talented, kind, but later on was short tempered, sneaky, and strange. Throughout the story, there are a variety of literary devices that help the reader understand the Wife’s emotions, doing this through her diction, tone, and voice. Using these devices, the narrator revealed that she valued her family greatly, held onto past feelings/grudges, and couldn’t accept others for who they truly were.

Throughout the story, the narrator shows that her family is of importance to her. In the beginning, she explains how she lived with her sister. Even though her sister had to move out, the wife still tells the readers that their bond will never change, saying “my sister said, kind of teasing but serious, “Well! If he’s going to be here every day and half the night, I guess there isn’t room for me!” And she moved out — just down the way. We’ve always been real close, her and me. That’s the sort of thing doesn’t ever change. I couldn’t ever have got through this bad time without my sis.” (1). Because she used the word

At first, the wife tried giving him the benefit of the doubt when he started to act strangely: his voice changing, going out in the broad daylight, having a horrendous odor. She explained that “I figured everybody got to bust out now and then, and nagging never helped anything”(6). Then, when she found out that he was actually a human, she was distraught, in mortal fear. Telling the reader “My own dear love, turned in the hateful one”(16) and “It started and peered, that thing my husband had turned into…I was bound by mortal fear”(17). Instead of calling him her husband, she uses the word “it” because she didn’t see him as her husband anymore, just another