Judy Brady an author of the 1970’s wrote this piece of satire diving into the definition of wife and husband. She was published in a feminist magazine titled Ms. As you read; leading way to a possible bias throughout the text. I believe she wrote this piece to empower women and to really display all the things they do and are expected to do. She goes about making her point in a sarcastic yet calm way. When looked at with a quick glance you would think her audience would be woman, on the contrary; she is appealing to men and their absurd standards for woman. It is through her use of vocabulary, absurdity and sarcasm that she can show these men who’s boss and put their lives in perspective.
According to Dictionary.com, wife is defined as a married woman, especially when considered in relation to her partner in marriage. In Brady’s use of the word it entails all the duties and obligations of a married woman in the 1970’s. She goes on to list how they should be organized, make meals, take care of the children, listen to their husbands and ask little of them. She paints a vivid picture as to what a woman should do. Throughout the text you have to continually remind yourself that a
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woman is writing the piece in order to contain the urge of ripping it to shreds. It is through Brady’s use of the word Wife that she is able to twist the meaning to refer to her husband. We can see this through her following statement, “I want a wife to care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments”(Brady,1971). She uses the definition and listing of their characteristics and compares it to the “needs” of husbands during this time to get them to realize their absurd actions. By doing this she is leading way to change in the household by making men more accountable to their behavior. Brady uses the satirical term sarcasm in her essay to portray a tone onto her audience. She does this through her choice of phrasing. Opening up the essay she re-tells of a previous conversation she had with herself, “ As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would like to have a wife”(Brady,1971). The audience can tell this is sarcasm because she follows it up with, “Why do I want a wife”. By stating this she is saying, yeah this would be nice to have someone do all of these chores, take care of the kids and give me pleasure when I want it. By using this statement she is able to take a jab at her male counterpart. She is able to use sarcasm to create a scoff at them as if they could do what she does. It is also through Judy Brady’s use of Absurdity and Innuendo that she can further her point.
She uses key phrases throughout the text to show the audience how absurd some of the things women have to do. For example, “ I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs....I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood”(Brady, 1971). She also uses this statement, “ ...My wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free”(Brady, 1971). By using these phrases she can relate to women and show men at the same time how absurd their requests are. Innuendo however is something the reader can pick up on by the end of her piece. It is through her use of vocabulary, sarcasm and absurdity that the reader (men) can infer what she
wants. In all, I want a wife is an article on the roles women played during the 1970’s. It manages to appeal to men and get them to rethink their role in the house. Judy Brady is an author who wanted to see the reversal of roles and create change; I believe she did just that.
Henry Adams, a famous historian, once said “Friends are born, not made.” Is this true? One curious woman, author Kate Dailey, wrote “Friends with Benefits: Do Facebook Friends Provide the Same Support as Those in Real Life?” published in 2009 in the Newsweek, and she argues that Facebook is able to provide and create “friends”. Dailey argues that while Facebook serves as a great alternative for real world’s social life, Facebook is not a replacement to the same support as those in actuality. Dailey starts building her credibility by incorporating personal stories and using reliable sources, quoting convincing facts and statistics, and successfully using emotional appeals; however, towards the end of the article, her attempt to summarize the other side of the debate ultimately undermines her platform.
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the fight for equal and just treatment for both women and children was one of the most historically prominent movements in America. Courageous women everywhere fought, protested and petitioned with the hope that they would achieve equal rights and better treatment for all, especially children. One of these women is known as Florence Kelley. On July 22, 1905, Kelley made her mark on the nation when she delivered a speech before the National American Woman Suffrage Association, raising awareness of the cruel truth of the severity behind child labor through the use of repetition, imagery and oxymorons.
Helen Fisher is an anthropologist studying emotions. Fisher attended a Ted Talk room to make a speech about love, as she is the best known expert on love in the romantic sense. In her speech, she addresses the chemistry of love and the way it affects the brain. She uses real world examples of people that have been in love, and also uses examples of scientific studies of people that claim to be in love. She is a very eloquent speaker.
As the story begins, the narrator's compliance with her role as a submissive woman is easily seen. She states, "John laughs at me, but one expects that in marriage" (Gilman 577). These words clearly illustrate the male's position of power in a marriage that is not only accepted, but rather expected at this time period.... ... middle of paper ...
Marriage is the biggest and final step between two young people who love one another more than anything. In the marriage proposals by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen we are able to see two different reasons for marriage. While Dickens takes a more passionate approach, Austen attempts a more formal and logical proposal. Rhetorical strategies, such as attitude and diction, have a great impact on the effect the proposals have on the women.
You notice this to be so because Mrs. Peters is struggling against what she is hearing the men say versus what she feels herself. When Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters that she would hate for the men to be in her kitchen snooping around and criticizing, Mrs. Peters responds by saying "Of course it’s no more than their duty". This reflects to me a lady who has been so brain washed by the manly view of her time that she can’t even see the simple feelings that women feel for and between each other.
Judy Brady’s essay “I Want a Wife” uses a sarcastic tone in order to illuminate the amount of much pressure that is put on wives, not just by their husbands, but by society as well. Brady’s tone voices to the audience that changes need to be made to the role of women.
It is safe to say that the box next to the “boring, monotone, never-ending lecture” has been checked off more than once. Without the use of rhetorical strategies, the world would be left with nothing but boring, uniform literature. This would leave readers feeling the same way one does after a bad lecture. Rhetorical devices not only open one’s imagination but also allows a reader to dig deep into a piece and come out with a better understanding of the author’s intentions. Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Wife’s Story” is about a family that is going through a tough spot. However, though diction, imagery, pathos, and foreshadowing Guin reveals a deep truth about this family that the reader does not see coming.
In antebellum America, cotton became an extremely important economic factor in the South, as well as the rest of the United States. Cotton was the oil of the nineteenth century. As its importance grew, so did the emergence of plantations and the need for slavery. Those who owned plantations were usually very wealthy and could afford a large portion of land, and the labor to maintain it. Gender roles on plantations were somewhat different than what would be seen in a New England household. Plantation mistresses were needed to manage the property in the absence of the male. Therefore, these women had some power over what when on around the plantations. For some women, this was not always a power they wanted.
But in reality, a male narrator gives a certain sense of understanding to the male audience and society’s understand of the male and females roles and responsibilities in a marriage. Just as men were expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, pay the bills and maintain the household as a whole, women were expected to cook, clean, nurture the children, and be a loving and submissive wife to their husband. The only stipulation required for this exchange of power was to establish a mutual love. In the Victorian age love was all it took for a man to take or alter a woman’s livelihood and
Married women strove to provide the best for their family, regardless of the conditions. As women, they are already expected to properly clean, take care of their children and especially be able to prepare and cook different foods (Source B). Working-class women often lived in a terrible conditions; being poor and their husbands underpaid, their homes were in a deplorable state. Married working-class women could seldom work outside of the house for any extra income, yet it
In “Autumn Marriage,” the speaker evaluates the multifaceted relationship between husband and wife. Marriages like any union, go through times where times are hectic or difficult. Alvarez examines this relationship through a conversation between two lovers that expand into a therapy session or lack thereof. Furthermore, Alvarez touches on various subjects within a marriage such as, domestic quarrels, lack of love or passion and the idea of false reputations. The intensity with which this speaker explicates this troublesome union is through environmental-like imagery and allusion: to demonstrate that tumultuous times conveying the truth about ones relationship.
In Maxine Hong Kingston story, “No Name Woman,” the author told a story of her aunt who was punished for committing adultery and died in order to express her thought and spirit of revolt of the patriarchal oppression in the old Chinese society. My essay will analyze the rhetoric and the technique of using different narrators to represent the article and expound the significance of using those methods in the article.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator and her husband John can be seen as strong representations of the effects society’s stereotypical gender roles as the dominant male and submissive female have within a marriage. Because John’s wife takes on the role as the submissive female, John essentially controlled all aspects of his wife’s life, resulting in the failure of the couple to properly communicate and understand each other. The story is intended to revolve around late 19th century America, however it still occurs today. Most marriages still follow the traditional gender stereotypes, potentially resulting in a majority of couples to uphold an unhealthy relationship or file for divorce. By comparing the “The yellow wallpaper” with the article “Eroticizing Inequality in the United States: The Consequences and Determinants of Traditional Gender Role Adherence in Intimate Relationships”, the similarities between the 19th century and 21st century marriage injustice can further be examined. If more couples were able to separate the power between the male and female, America would have less unhappy marriages and divorces.
“Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is look- ing for another wife (Brady),” which led Judy to reveal the treatment and roles of women defined by men. The male friend of Brady is looking for a wife despite the child that he had is with his ex-wife. This proves that not only children are dependent on women, but men are too because of their selfish reasons to get food, a clean house, kids, and other physical needs from their wife. As Brady states that, “I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complains about a wife’s duties,” (Brady) it proves that men’s expectation are so high, because of their selfish character who tends to eliminate the concerns of a wife. As a