Who is The Men on the Bridge, John and his Wife from Friedman's Fables and what is their importance?

These characters play out narratives that explore the issue of imposed versus personal responsibility. The Man on the Bridge and John's Wife are both are expected to take responsibility for the feelings and situations of others and both eventually take action to simultaneously reject those "imposed" responsibilities and accept "personal" responsibility for themselves, their own well being, and their own identity. As such, they embody the first of the collection's key theme of responsibility.