The narrator of William Carlos Williams’ “Danse Russe” is presumably the head of a household—a husband and a father to two children. If asked to describe him, one would most likely admit that he is middle-aged, seemingly successful and happy, a bit reserved. These assumptions that he is middle-aged can be rooted in the fact that the narrator has a wife and two children, as seen when he states, “…when my wife is sleeping / and the baby and Kathleen / are sleeping” (“Danse Russe” 1-3), which suggests that he is probably in his thirties because he has two children versus only one. Due to the fact that he does have a family, one can only assume he is happy and successful, able to support his wife and children and promoting the success of his marriage.
