The husband and wife

Outer characterization

The husband and the wife are the main characters in the inner story from “Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer. The outer characterization reveals that the couple is married and that they have a son, with whom they live in the suburbs:

In a house, in a suburb, in a city, there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after. They had a little boy, and they loved him very much. They had a cat and a dog that the little boy loved very much. 

Furthermore, the narrative reveals that the husband and the wife are well-off, as they have “a car”, “a caravan trailer”, “a swimming pool”, and they can afford a housemaid and a gardener. While it is not explicitly specified, the historical context of the story suggests that the husband and wife are white.

They are not given any name, which is a common feature in fairy-tales. It also implies that the husband and wife are suppos...