Happy birthday to you, it's the song that instantly makes the recipient feel uncomfortable and leaves them wondering what to do while it's being sung. "Singing?" “Do I sit here awkwardly?” "Do I take a selfie?" These are the questions that are commonly left to the recipient and unfortunately there are no right answers. Fortunately, Katharine Brush's short story, The Birthday Party, provides us with a way to deal with this problem: scold your wife. Katherine's story is about a wife who gives her husband a surprise birthday cake at a restaurant. Instead of being grateful as one would expect, her husband scolds her for this act of affection. The husband's anger towards his wife demonstrates the importance of communication and dedication in a relationship, because without it the relationship breaks down. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Communication is the cornerstone of a relationship. In The Birthday Party, the wife and husband show the reader what happens when there is no communication in a relationship: surprises turn into possible relationship-ending events. The wife's simple yet loving gesture of giving her husband a birthday cake may have ended their marriage due to their lack of communication. While unfortunate, this is a story theme that translates to real-life relationships. According to the survey of 100 mental health professionals conducted by YourTango.com, lack of communication was the main reason for divorce. This is because humans have historically been social creatures, who have relied on advanced forms of communication, particularly speech and emotion, to survive and evolve. And according to Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection, the traits that help a species survive will continue to thrive in future generations. Likewise, the human desire for communication from one's partner ultimately translates into successful child rearing. Basically, mating is the sole purpose of a relationship from an evolutionary perspective. But human beings like to give purpose to their lives. This results in many humans choosing suboptimal ways to live their lives: Choosing a life partner. Ultimately, changing the original purpose of a relationship. The change of purpose in a relationship causes the foundation of a relationship to be dedication. When applied correctly, dedication to another individual can be an extremely powerful bond that holds a relationship together. Traditionally, this is what is promised at weddings: “You (Person A) take (Person B) to be your lawful wife (wife/husband), to have and to keep, in sickness and in health… keeping you exclusively for them for as long as you both live?” Unfortunately, commitment is not as common as it was in the early 20th century, simply because divorce papers have become extremely difficult to obtain The Birthday Party's husband may have had divorce on his mind on the day of his birthday.The author never tells the reader what the husband said to his wife, but it is safe to assume that he was no longer devoted to his wife. Their relationship was one-sided and was about to end. sudden boom in the divorce rate in the United States after World War II, because divorce began to become socially acceptable. The two parties in a relationship were no longer pressured by society to stay together in difficult times. And, of course, our brain is wired for.