Pudlo revisited the theme of a man bringing home his reluctant bride at least twice in the early 1960s. In traditional Inuit culture, marriages were often arranged from infancy, and in some regions, it was customary for the groom to “steal” his bride. This symbolic act sometimes involved physically carrying her off to his camp, much like the Western tradition of carrying a bride over the threshold. In Reluctant Wife, as in his other version, Pudlo infuses the scene with humour. The groom, in a playful chase, tugs on the tail of his bride’s amautiq as she mockingly tries to escape. The force of his pull appears to lift her off the ground, her limbs flailing mid-air, capturing the lively and light-hearted exchange with wit.