Sometimes I am amazed at what is considered to be good literature, The Astronomer's Wife is one that falls into that category. At first, most might feel this way, but when you take a deeper look at the elements that make up a short story, you find that it is indeed very well written. This story is a great example of how a writer develops three types of characters, the Protagonist, the Antagonist, and the basic Minor Character(s). .
To begin with, I think that the Protagonist in this story would have to be the wife Katherine. The entire story focuses on her from beginning, when the author describes her upon waking, and the negative feelings that she was experiencing. A major factor in the story concentrated on how unhappy Katherine was with the relationship between her and her husband. This was made evident by the appearance of the plumber, who was called to repair a rather serious water leak in the bathroom. Katherine was a bit hesitant when the plumber had first arrived, but after the two had time to interact, you could tell that there was a mutual attraction between them. In the end you are led to believe that Katherine may have left her husband for the handsome plumber. It seems rather clear Katherine is the main character in this short story, which would leave the husband as the Antagonist.
The Antagonist in this case was not directly involved in most of the story, but his presence is felt in everything that is going on in and around the house. First of all, Katherine is very concerned that her husband may be awakened by the arrival of the plumber, and she cautions the plumber that her husband is asleep upstairs. There are a few things that make it clear that Katherine is a bit afraid of her husband, one is that she makes a point not to disturb his sleep, and secondly, the author conveys how Katherine is grateful for the times that her husband is silent. Apparently, he never says anything that is nice, for example; when the plumber and Katherine are discussing the problem in the hallway, the husband calls out "Katherine! There's a problem worthy of your mettle!" This statement is obviously riddled with sarcasm and condescension.
