Professor Pohl
Writing 101
2/20/15
What is a Wife?
Woman play many roles in their lives: some are as complex as being a daughter, a friend, and even a sister, but one of the most important roles they play is that of being a wife.When a woman becomes a wife she creates a new family, separate from the one she was born into. This new family is based off of her pure choices, decisions and what she feels is right for herself. This settlement could be the make or break of her life. It is one of the biggest decisions and responsibilities of her life and it all begins with a simple "I do.”
There are so many ways to define the term “wife”. The dictionary, for example, defines a wife as, “ a female partner in a continuing marital relationship.” A wife may also be referred to as a spouse . However, it seems, that the definition of a “wife” has changed over the many years, In
Judy Brady’s short story “Why I Want a Wife” the author deliberates over this change as she discusses how men used to marry woman and considered them to be their maids. The commitments and rights of a wife in connection to her partner and her status in the group and in law, fluctuates in the middle of societies and has changed over the long haul.
In Brady’s “Why I Want a Wife”, she deliberates on how men want a wife that does everything for them, in other words a maid. Brady gives the view of how men back then, and some even now, define as a wife; it was expected for her to clean, cook, take care of the kids if they had any, and cater to the husband’s every need, thus making the term wife, a role. In some
cultures this is truly the case. In a lot of eastern cultures, for example, women are picked by the motherinlaw to marry their son (arranged marriage) and a lot of the times the woman is only there to eventually have kids with her husband, cook, clean and take care of her inlaws and husband. She is not allowed to work, and has little to no freewill. This relates back to Brady’s story because she discusses how men would marry woman for their needs, instead of to form a new relationship and bond with another human being.
At the end of the day, everyone defines a wife differently. As we progress towards a more equal community where women are rightfully seen as equals to men it is becoming more evident that men are viewing woman as more than just maids and are actually incorporating time and effort into building a strong healthy relationship.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Women would help their husbands by caring for a garden, knitting clothes and making food.…
- 1806 Words
- 8 Pages
Good Essays -
The word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband…
- 576 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Wanted not only to be wives working at home but to have a career. Women wanted to be treated equally as men with respect.…
- 208 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Men were the workers, bread winners, property owners, decision makers, and kings in their families and in society. Everyone worked beneath them. They went out to work each day and expected that when they returned, the women within their families would provide the proper necessities of life: food, a clean house, and take care of the children. A woman on the other hand was expected to provide these necessities and often she also provided work outside the home, she may have even work alongside her husband too. When she finished that job, it was expected that she would attend to her home duties, these included, providing care for her husband and family and never to complain.…
- 1730 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Many wives sometimes feel unappreciated, neglected, and often used; which sometimes may lead to speaking out loud for themselves. This was the case with a woman in the 70s named Judy Brady. In 1971, Judy Brady’s essay “I Want a Wife” was in the first edition of Ms. Magazine; which targeted the inequality that was promised to women at this time. Being as the 70s was a time when women constantly struggled for equality and rights, Brady has some very interesting views on the term “wife.” Brady begins her thought process after hearing from a male friend who has recently become divorced. With him being single, and looking for a new wife; it occurred to Brady that she too wanted a wife of her own.…
- 596 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The man was head of the household while the woman’s role was to obey. A woman could inherit property, but law required that when she married, she forfeited it to her husband.…
- 514 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
woman how to dress, please her husband, raise her children, and cook her food” . There were also occasional cases where women were advised not to get a job, however, usually the job was in domestic service – like housekeeper, maid, dressmaker, babysitter, waitress, cook etc.…
- 279 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Yes, they were wives, but many regarded them simply for their cooking, cleaning, and more “feminine” aspects. Women weren’t expected to stand up to men. Males were thought of as dominant/superior, which lead to females being deemed as inferior. Men assumed the position as head of the household, and women were just followed behind them. Even today, many women still perform the daily household duties, but I choose to believe that it is because of tradition rather than discrimination.…
- 531 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the narrative style essay written by Judy Brady (1971), "I Want a Wife", she uses out right sarcasm and exaggeration with a slight humorous tone. This demonstrates her stance on the unrealistic demands that were placed on women in that era. She starts off her essay stating "I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife. And, not al-together incidentally, I am a mother" (1971). As if being a wife and a mother was almost an undesirable task to bear in life. I suppose that in the 1900 century it pretty much was to an extent. The way Brady goes on to list the expected duties of her wife, makes her sound more like a servant than anything else. She even mentions her wife performing things like…
- 1473 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
In 1971 when the essay “I Want A Wife” was written it was the height of the feminist movement. During this time women were rising and speaking out about the classification of themselves as second class citizens to men. Inspired by the recent amendment giving women the right to vote, which was in the 1940’s, Judy Brady, wrote the satirical essay ” I Want a Wife”. The purpose of the essay is to give a blatant unfair depiction of the conditions of the common “wife” during this time. Brady uses the male view-point and their inherent selfishness to persuade her audience which is both single and married women but Brady also tries to reach out to the husband audience by trying to get them to see how self-centered the expectations of the common wife is. By reveling how repressed men are making women they might try for a change. Brady’s argument is effective because of her use of ethos logos and pathos.…
- 588 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In the essay, “I Want a Wife,” Judy Brady explains that people as humans do what they do, what they think is right, and sometimes don’t realize that others are not happy about it. Although gender roles have changed over time and males and females have become more equal, a certain label of behaviors and tasks which are acceptable for men and women still exist today. Brady displays throughout the essay that often men tend to unappreciated women and make their wives take every single responsibility within the household including to fulfill all of the man’s needs and wants. Learn to appreciate what people have before time forces them to appreciate what they had. Don’t forget a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel…
- 710 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In a typical married relationship, there is a husband and a wife. The husband’s role is to work and provide for the family while the wife’s role is to stay at home, do chores, and take care of the kids. With this dynamic, the husband and wife are two halves of the same whole. This means they are equal, right? Well in 1972, Judy Brady writes an article “Why I Want a Wife” which details why she also wants a wife. However, the article’s message is not what it claims; it has this underlying theme that the women are doing much more than the husband but is not treated as equals. In fact, Brady conveys this message to her readers using ethos, pathos, and logos.…
- 540 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“I belong to that classification of people know as wives. I am A Wife. And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother.” Judy Brady’s opening statement to “I Want a Wife,’. With that opening statement it shows she’s speaking off experience. The purpose of “I Want a Wife,” is to let the world know what a woman has to deal with as a wife, also to get men to realize the overbearing task they expected from a their wife, which is not fair. Hoping they have sympathy and learn to treat them as an equal.…
- 780 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
A “wife” is defined as a “married woman considered in relation (married) to her husband” (Dictionary.com). Throughout the years, the status of a ‘wife’ held little value. Judy Brady's "I Want A Wife” is a satirical piece that explores the traditional roles women play in a family. The purpose of this essay is to provide a crystal clear unbalanced portrayal of the conditions of the common ‘wife’ during the 60’s and 70’s. While Brady outlines a ‘wife's’ responsibilities she introduces her audience to a crucial point: that there is a distinct difference, specifically inequality, between the roles of women and men.…
- 1082 Words
- 3 Pages
Better Essays -
In "Why I Want a Wife," Brady offers hypothetical criteria for an ideal wife in a satirical commentary on how the work of wives is often taken for granted. The humor of the essay lies in its structure: on the surface it seems to accept the criteria it puts forth, while the meaning actually operates in the recognition that the narrator is being sarcastic.…
- 2941 Words
- 12 Pages
Powerful Essays