What does Irving's short story, "The Wife," say about American values regarding marriage, women, and economics?

Irving's Story, "The Wife," conveys many different things about marriage, women, and economy. In the story, the man describes how sad he becomes and how "mortifying" it is to be poor. This shows that there was a lot of pressure in society for men to be wealthy and support their wives and families. He was scared to tell his wife about his failure throughout the story because he thought it would break her heart. What class you were in was obviously very important to people in this era. The story also says a lot of information about wives. It portrays that they are there to support you and give you comfort whenever you may need it. The story says single men are more "apt to run to waste and self neglect" whereas married men are able to share prosperity and receive sympathy from their wives. It explains that sharing emotions with your spouse is a way to create a bond that can keep hearts together.  Even though the husband is scared to tell his wife about his misfortunes, when he finally does she was actually relieved to hear the news, because she knew something had been bothering him. I agree with what this story conveys. Husband and wife should always be there for the other one, no matter what the news may be. And if you are not sharing something with your spouse I believe that they will be able to sense that something is upsetting you, so always be willing to share, and I think you will be satisfied with the outcome.