t, she used her writing
             to illustrate the assumed roles society has developed.
             The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature
             remarks, "Her professional life and three marriages
             helped to shape her keen insights into modern love and
             women's lives." (Compact Bedford, 196). Colette
             understood the expected submission role because she
             had lived the role of the wife several times. Also, as
             one of the few women in the workplace, she was
             subjected to even more male supremacy. She could write
             about the reasons why women comply because she
             understood and had been a victim herself. In "The
             Hand", Colette relates a story of a young bride. From
             the beginning of the story, she sets up the role of
             submission in the woman, and the domination in the
             husband, this unbalance of power. The husband is
             asleep, yet he still holds the power. While he sleeps
             comfortably, the wife is awake, supporting his head so
             that he may be comfortable. She won' t even move
             because she fears waking him. He may not have
             consciously forced this authority over her, but he or
             she created it in her mind. When he twitches, the
             young wife believes it is her fault. She says
             guiltily, "I'm so heavy...I wish I could get up and turn
             the light off. But he is sleeping so well...." (Colette,
             197). She does all she can to satisfy him and to
             comfort him, even at the expense of her comfort or any
             other luxuries. For example, "the arm twisted again,
             feebly, and she arched her back to make herself
             lighter." (Colette, 197). Here, she is succumbing to
             him, even if it is through his unspoken wishes and
             through his actions. Even though this is a minute
             example, she is giving in to his desires. She gives up
             what she would rather in order to keep him content.
             Colette uses the description of the characters to
             emphasize the unbalance of power. Not only does the
             husband outwei...