Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives
In Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives, Ella Wheeler Wilcox offers a collection of six short stories that explore the consequences of bad marriages. Each story follows a different couple, and each couple is faced with a unique set of challenges. In the first story, a woman is married to a man who is constantly unfaithful and neglectful. In the second story, a woman is married to a man who is abusive and controlling. In the third story, a woman is married to a man who is a compulsive gambler. In the fourth story, a woman is married to a man who is a drunkard. In the fifth story, a woman is married to a man who is a spendthrift. In the sixth story, a woman is married to a man who is a liar and a cheat. Through these stories, Wilcox explores the difficulties of being in an unhappy marriage and the courage it takes to make the decision to leave.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1912 · Genre: Romance, Humor, Fiction · 6 chapters · 6,325 words
First lines
The first bad husband had been a very good man until he married. He had built up a successful business and a fair name for himself, and he had done it all without help, and without harming any one else.
He climbed without pulling others down; and he did little acts of kindness as he went along, never hesitating to give a dollar where he felt it was needed, even when anxious about the coming of another dollar to fill its place.
What this Textopian page supports
Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives is listed on Textopian as a novel by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Humor, Fiction, Satire
- Length: 6,325 words
- Structure: 6 chapters, 142 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives?
- How does this novel by Ella Wheeler Wilcox fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romance first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Romance — The title of the book implies a focus on relationships between husbands and wives, which is a common theme in romance literature.
- Humor — The title of the book implies a humorous tone, as it suggests a lighthearted look at the relationships between husbands and wives.
- Fiction — The book is a work of fiction, as it is not based on real events or people.
- Satire — The title of the book implies a satirical tone, as it suggests a humorous and critical look at the relationships between husbands and wives.
Tags
Conduct of life · Husband and wife · Marriage · Women · always · away · bad · became · could · day · felt · found