Wife-wooing

This short story called "Wife-Wooing" by John Updike is about the deteriorating relationship of a husband and wife.  The collection of short stories, "Too Far To Go" tells the stories of a declining marriage between two characters named Richard and Joan.  In this first short story that I read, Updike describes the actions of the wife Joan from the point of view of Richard which foreshadows the upcoming end to the marriage.  This short story does not clearly tell a story but it describes the actions of Joan which lets the reader formulate an opinion to where there the marriage between Joan and Richard is heading.  The way that "Wife-Wooing" is crafted is very intriguing because it gives insight into the mind of the wife and gives vivid descriptions of the way she looks, dresses and acts toward her husband.  What stood out to me the most about this short story is the way that Updike described Joan from Richard's point of view.  He spoke a lot about the way she dresses and how her skirts gently caress her thigh and knee.  Updike writes, "You allow this black skirt to slide off your raised knees down your thighs, slide up your thighs in your body's absolute geography, so the parallel whiteness of their undersides is exposed to the fire's warmth and to my sight."  Descriptions like this one of Joan are found throught the story.  While I read, I wondered why this husband describes his wife's appearence so descriptively but not once does he talk about his emotional connection with her?  This is an early sign of the love between them falling apart and how now their realtionship is solely based on lust.  My interpretation was validated when I read the line, "In the morning, to my relief, you are ugly."  Now that Joan wakes up and is ugly, he no longer feels a physical attraction toward her and now that there is no want for lust, there is no more connection between them at all.  Richard is satisfied to not be drawn in by her seductive looks.  I enjoyed the way John Updike tells the beginning of the two lovers' story through description, and by showing not telling which makes the story unique and interesting.  He also uses a lot of alliteration and consonance which enriches the writing and gives it a rhythm.  When I started reading this story, I didn't know if I was going to like it but then when I looked deeper into its meaning and significance in the collection of short stores of their marriage, I began to be more interested and found myself wanting to read on.