The Other Wife by Colette

Identity

Summary

The other wife is a story by Colette, it talks about a couple, Marc and Alice, how they attended a restaurant and were going out for lunch. When they arrive at the restaurant, Marc spies out his a woman next to the restaurants window. Alice wanted to go sit there, but Marc insisted to sit somewhere else. Alice asked for an explanation, and Marc gave her the truth. The lady sitting next to the window was his ex wife. Alice had never met the ex wife and this was her first time seeing her. Marc and Alice were very loving and it showed. Marc  shared with Alice how bitter and unsatisfied hi ex wife was. He could never make her happy, he just did not know what she wanted, she was difficult. Once they were leaving Alice started to think if she was happy, and if she was satisfied. 

Meaning 

Once Alice realized what her husband really thought about his ex wife, she felt as if she was settling for less. "..she kept looking, with envy and curiosity, at the women in white, this dissatisfied, this difficult, this superior..". Alice analyzed her husband and in doing that she saw and old man, while she was still young. Alice had not really thought about her identity and how she was viewed by other people when seen next to Marc. She realized that his ex wife seems to be superior because she knows that she did not loose much. Alice has not identified herself as a person much less the type of relationship she is in.