Both stories deal with the pressure that lack of money can cause in a marriage. Compare the way in which Thomas Hardy and D.H. Lawrence portray relations between the men and women in 'To Please His Wife' and 'Her Turn'

In both stories the wives demanded more money for different reasons. In "To Please His Wife" money is wanted by Joanna but she doesn't want her husband Shadrach going back to work at sea in the trading business, she lost her mother and Shadrach was her only family member, they tried running a small grocers shop to produce some income, "But the shop did not thrive", "Shadrach was not endowed with the narrow shrewdness necessary for developing a retail business". Shadrach wasn't so concerned at lack of money but Joanna compared herself with Emily who married a rich man, "Her boys will go to college, no doubt", she doesn't want Emily to be better than herself. Even though she doesn't want her husband leaving, she realises this is the only solution to earning a lot of money so she allows Shadrach off to sea, she wanted her children to be better than her old friend Emily's, "When Shadrach comes home...they shall be removed from port, and their education thoroughly taken in hand by a tutor", Joanna doesn't want to see herself as being poorer than Emily and her husband, "But they are rich, and we are poor still!"

In the 2nd story, "Her Turn", the couple being studying are in their 2nd marriage, "so there was between them that truce which is never held between a man and his first wife". Mr Radford has a good job, "he earned good money". He pays his wife a considerable large amount of money each week from her husband and from his sons from his 1st marriage, "Radford considered his wife did well". In the past Mr Radford had been on a long-term strike in which he earned only 11 shillings strike pay, he refused to give his wife any. She decided when a 2nd strike started she would be prepared, she had an argument with her husband, she suggests "We'll go shares wi' th' Union money, that's nothing but what's right" but Mr Radford didn't agree, "Tha's got plenty o' money as tha can use", he believed that the money she received from his sons should be enough while he was on such a low wage. She went off crying but the next morning things seemed back to normal between the couple. That day Mrs Radford goes out and buys many new items for the house, using the money she received from Mr Radford's sons and other savings. Mr Radford is shocked by all these large purchases and gets very angry with his wife, "his arm leapt up, the fist clenched, and his eyes blazed at her", but he didn't take any action. The story then skips a week to his next payday when "he handed her his half-sovereign without a word" to his wife. She then gives him a shilling of his money back, "you'll want some for yourself". We only get limited information about the plot of this story, we don't learn of the relationship between Mr and Mrs Radford, but from what we are told it seems as though Mrs Radford is greedy and expects to receive her money under all circumstances.

In "To Please His Wife" Shadrach is a very weak person and doesn't stand up for himself, he knows his only skills are at sea but when Joanna doesn't want him to go away he takes up her idea of opening a grocers store to bring in an income, he doesn't really care about money, he just wants Joanna to be happy and will do anything for her. He isn't successful in the grocers as he is too truthful and looses customers; he isn't a good businessman. The grocers shop brings in little money and so Joanna thinks about letting her husband go back to sea, "you were not brought up to shop keeping, and it is impossible for a man to make a fortune at an occupation he has jumped into", but Jolliffe doesn't mind not having a fortune and doesn't mind if they are a rich couple, "not that I care a rope's end about making a fortune". Joanna didn't have this point of view; she's constantly comparing herself to Emily, "but see how well Emily Lester is". Shadrach admits how he never did like being the businessman, "unfit for this business, though I've never liked to say so". This shows that he is weak and that he will do as Joanna says, he only raises the point when Joanna considers other methods of earning money to get the status of which Emily has. As it is money that Joanna wants Shadrach suggests going back to see, he believes it would be the most successful way for him to earn money, but he only makes this point as he wants to please Joanna, it doesn't bother him whether they are a rich family or not.

In "Her Turn" the attitude of Mr Radford is completely different to Shadrach's. He stands up for himself and believes that his wife doesn't deserve his money. He seems shocked, "Mrs Radford could neither cajole not entreat nor nag the strike-pay". Mrs Radford tries to sweet talk him into giving her the money but he bluntly refuses. He comments on how he'd like some food, "them tan-tafflins'll go down very nicely", she replies saying how he should help pay for them, he asks what she is after and she sarcastically replies by saying "why can't you think?" She thinks she deserves a share of his wages, "That's nothing but what's right" but he once again refuses to give her a share, he needs money for personal use, she is still getting income from his two sons. After his wife goes out and spends her savings on household items he gets very angry, she has been demanding money and then spends it all on purchasing unneeded items. He feels as if she is taking advantage of him but doesn't take any actions and just forgets about the situation. When he next gives his wife money, she gives him some back showing she has learnt a lesson and he has had an affect on her and she may be less greedy in the future.

In the end of the two stories the circumstances are all very different for the three couples. In "Her Turn" Mrs Radford gets her message across after the lack of communication between the couple and they both end up happy whereas in "To Please His Wife" Joanna ends up as a widow, loosing her husband in an accident at sea, due to greed and her jealousy of her old friend, Emily, and her husband who end up a happy, wealthy couple.

Daniel Kendrick 19.09.03

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