Question

“the wifes story”by ursula le guin
he was a good husband, a good father. i dont understand it. i dont believe in it. i dont believe that it happened. i saw it happen but it isnt true. it cant be. he was always gentle. if youd have seen him playing with the children, anybody who saw him with the children, would have known that there wasnt any bad in him, not one mean bone. when i first met him he was still living with his mother, over near spring lake, and i used to see them together, the mother and the sons, and think that any young fellow that was that nice with his family must be one worth knowing. then one time when i was walking in the woods i met him by himself coming back from a hunting trip. he hadnt got any game at all, not so much as a field mouse, but he wasnt cast down about it. he was just larking along enjoying the morning air. thats one of the things i first loved about him. he didnt take things hard, he didnt grouch and whine when things didnt go his way. so we got to talking that day. and i guess things moved right along after that, because pretty soon he was over here pretty near all the time. and my sister said - see, my parents had moved out the year before and gone south, leaving us the place - my sister said, kind of teasing but serious, “well! if hes going to be here every day and half the night, i guess there isnt room for me!” and she moved out - just down the way. weve always been real close, her and me. thats the sort of thing doesnt ever change. i couldnt ever have got through this bad time without my sis.
well, so he come to live here. and all i can say is, it was the happiest year of my life. he was just purely good to me. a hard worker and never lazy, and so big and fine - looking. everybody looked up to him, you know, young as he was. lodge meeting nights, more and more often they had him to lead the singing. he had such a beautiful voice, and hed lead off strong, and the others following and joining in, high voices and low. it brings the shivers on me now to think of it, hearing it, nights when id stayed home from meeting when the children was babies - the singing coming up through the trees there, and the moonlight, summer nights, the full moon shining. ill never hear anything so beautiful. ill never know a joy like that again.
what is the point - of - view and perspective of the story?
how does the narrator describe her husband in the first two paragraphs?
what was the husbands role in the community?
describe, in one word, how the narrator feels about her marriage.

Explanation:

1. The story is told from the first - person point - of - view, as indicated by the use of "I". The perspective is that of the wife.
2. In the first two paragraphs, the narrator describes her husband as gentle, not having a mean bone, positive even when hunting was unsuccessful, and easy - going.
3. In the community, the husband's role seems to be a respected and leading one, as he led the singing at Lodge Meetings.
4. One word to describe how the narrator feels about her marriage is "happy", as she mentions it was the happiest year of her life.

Answer:

1. Point - of - view: First - person; Perspective: Wife's.
2. Gentle, positive, easy - going.
3. Respected leader (led singing at Lodge Meetings).
4. Happy.