In society, men and women typically have distinct roles. Men are commonly perceived as the primary providers for their families, while women are often associated with being homemakers responsible for household chores. These defined gender roles are explored in the short stories Another Evening at the Club and Spring Storm. It is important for individuals in a relationship to understand the necessity of compromise, as both parties cannot always have their way. In Spring Storm, the protagonist Natsuo experiences a significant breakthrough by obtaining a lead role in a play.
Initially, Natsuo felt excited upon learning that she had received the role. However, she soon confronted the reality that she had to inform her husband, who would not be pleased. Aware of this, she decided to lie to her husband when she returned from work, claiming that she had not succeeded in the audition. After some discussion with her husband, Natsuo realized that she should have been honest with him from the beginning to avoid enduring a lengthy lecture about her success. Her husband expressed concerns that if she did pass the audition, he would be neglected or overlooked.
Throughout the story, the husband harbors a fear of being overshadowed by his wife and is particularly anxious about her potentially surpassing his own accomplishments. This deeply troubles him. Nevertheless, towards the conclusion, he openly acknowledges his happiness for his wife and recognizes the need to embrace the possibility of her outshining him in terms of success. In my perspective, Spring Storm effectively depicts the notion that men frequently believe they should hold higher-paying positions and be solely responsible for supporting their spouses and children. Numerous men struggle with accepting that women might possess greater qualifications for superior job prospects.
The story “Another Evening at the Club” recounts the experiences of Samia, a girl reflecting on how she met her husband, Abbound. The setting of this story is Egypt, a place where arranged marriages were common and wives were expected to follow their husbands’ every instruction. Samia’s first encounter with Abbound occurred a few years ago at her father’s house, where they exchanged glances that assessed her beauty before negotiating the dowry. At that time, Samia genuinely fell in love with Abbound and believed he was the right match for her. Likewise, Samia’s parents also viewed him as a good man.
