The paradox of class-backgrounds in marriage
The white-collar and blue-collar husbands are highly enlightened, and the reader expects them to balance patriarchal and matriarchal cultural backgrounds, but the opposite is the reality. For instance, the research indicates that both blue-collar and white-collar husbands are patriarchal because they do not bother to help their wives in doing household chaos. For example, Kevin does nothing apart from watching television when the wife does house cleaning.
The satire of strong bonding
The main satire in the entire text is that the divergence among spouses coming from various class backgrounds does not affect their marital bonding. Under normal circumstances, the reader expects spouses from different backgrounds will stick to their traditions and ideologies, but that is not the case. Instead, the spouses use their differences to create a strong bond.
The irony of behavioral difference
The irony of the behavioral difference is drawn from the marriage between Christine and Mike. The reader expects an individual from a lower class to acquire a higher class in marriage to change their behavior to match the new status. Ironically, research shows that behavior is a constant. For instance, despite Christine having a degree and working in a professional firm, her behavior and way of thinking resemble common strangers.
The commonality between Anneka and Lillian’s husbands
Anneka comes from an extreme white-collar background, and her husband comes from an extreme blue-collar background. On the other hand, Lillian comes from a blue-collar background, and her husband comes from a white-collar background. Ironically, both husbands have a unique character that is similar. For instance, these husbands believe that even if their wives are working, they must also do every duty at home.
