Obstacles, barriers or boundaries Story- the Other Wife by Colette

Alice has never meet or seen Marc’s ex-wife. They encounter her in a restaurant, when the maître d' is trying to seat the married couple very close to the small table where the other woman is seated. Marc recognizing the ex-wife and wishing to avoid any unpleasantness tells the maître d' they'd rather sit in another table. Right after they finished ordering, Marc explained to her why he did not want to sit in the other table. Since the moment Marc explained to Alice about his ex-wife.  All Alice does is staring at the ex-wife continuously. Marc insists that his marriage with his ex-wife was doomed from the start. Marc is just sorry that this encounter has made Alice feel uncomfortable. Alice states that this encounter has not made her feel uncomfortable that the ex-wife should feel uncomfortable. The ex-wife sits placidly in her chair, smoking, gazing out the window. Marc characterizes her as a woman who could never be satisfied. On the other hand, he has found his happiness with Alice and has satisfied Alice. Marc handles the situation pretty well by explaining to his wife. Marc feels calm and the obstacle being his ex-wife. Alice did not handle it well because she felt nervous and kept on staring at the ex-wife. The ex-wife felt comfortable and was just minding her own business while Alice looked at all her sudden movements. Alice sees the women more superior then her at the end of the story. Alice feels envy and the ex-wife is a barrier that she has to overcome by the end of the day.

Bernardo, Karen . An Analysis of Colette's "The Other Wife". Storybites, 2011. Web. <http://www.storybites.com/book-reviews/the-other-wife-by-colette.php>.