In "The Wide Net" by Eudora Welty, a husband and wife navigate the intricacies of marital strife in uniquely creative ways. Welty highlights the dichotomy of opposing energies and the intersection between the masculine and feminine within a relationship.

In the story, William Wallace Jamieson lives in a cabin with his pregnant wife, Hazel. When William spends a night away with friends, Hazel asserts that she has had enough. She writes a letter telling William that she's decided to commit suicide by drowning. The rest of the story tells how William gets a group of men together to "drag" the river with a wide net in hopes of finding Hazel's body.

The story ends on a surprising twist, however: Hazel never actually leaves the cabin. Furious with her duplicity, William gives his wife a spanking. However, the spunky woman coyly asserts that she will "do it again" when she is ready. However, she mysteriously proclaims that her test of William's love will take a different form.

Welty's unique approach involves mythological elements in a framework of literary realism. She makes the point that the dissonance between the masculine and feminine energies is as old as time. William may exert his will, but Hazel has an equally strong will. His physical dominance is clear, and Hazel knows this. However, she is just as determined to prevail in her feminine goals.

The only two male characters who suspect Hazel of duplicity are Virgil and Doc. Initially, Virgil suspects that Hazel has played a trick on William. However, Virgil is soon forced to take back his word. Instead, it is Doc who, on account of his experience, dryly points out the truth about women, as he calls it:

"She wasn't in there. Girls don't like the water—remember that. Girls don't just haul off and go jumping in the river to get back at their husbands. They got other ways . . ."

Meanwhile, the King of Snakes makes its appearance when the men stop to cook and eat their catfish haul. Caught in the throes of a strangely phallic dance with a catfish hooked to his belt buckle, William isn't initially cognizant of the strange serpent creature. For its part, the creature only makes a brief appearance before going back down into the water.

The King of Snakes symbolizes the mysterious naga of Buddhism and Hinduism. In these faith traditions, nagas are semi-divine creatures usually associated with waters of all sorts (lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.). Serpents are also masculine symbols. Meanwhile, the feminine has always been associated with water. It is fluid, ever-changing (just like Hazel), and can completely envelop the masculine (William).

Welty's story emphasizes the dichotomy of opposing energies and the interdependence between the feminine and masculine.