Rhetorical Analysis Of Judy Brady's Why I Want A Wife

Judy Brady is a well know feminist and activist during the nineties. She is also a well know writer and get publicity for her most influence essay over females and their roles as wife in “Why I want a wife”. She wrote this essay to give strength to her fellow activist in showing feminism. She also tried to show the world, how females are considered. Even though Judy’s essay talks about a long list of duties of women as a wife, her way of organizing it through ethos, pathos and logos to develop her argument , use of rhetorical devices such as irony, anaphora and her simple way of explaining main ideas to her readers, made it a successful essay. Judy organized her essay in a way that the readers will understand what she is willing to talk.

After listing the “jobs” of a woman as wife and mother, Judy puts forward this question to the readers to discuss about what she said. Here she shows that everybody needs a wife as working instrument, which cooks, take care, fulfill the hunger of husbands’ sexual needs, and is also replaceable. This ending is extremely emotional and pathetic and it allows the readers to conclude that this is wrong. She wants the readers, whoever it is, old, young, men and especially women to understand that this attitude to women as a whole, is wrong and should be changed. She also encourages the readers to take action against this treatment of women and also wants the husbands to stop unfair treatment of their wives, including their attitude of demanding too much from their wives. She also tried to encourage women who are unconscious of such activities and being quite against the treatment of their husband, thinking this as the part of the traditional “home wife”. The author also wants people, especially women to get angry and feel emotional, with this

She made her essay more like manly. As a wife she suffers the same status as another women, but Judy, after meeting her male friend, who wanted a new wife, as a replaceable for his old one, sarcastically, decided to be like a man, and ask for a wife , who is willing to be a “wife” for her. More over the title also shows the same idea. A new reader, like me, thought that, the author is a male, taking about his dream wife. All new readers, I believe also feel the same consciousness about this essay but Judy surprised me, making herself appear as a wife and mother in the first paragraph and then, as a male, who is ready to get a “wife” for her needs. She also made her essay interesting by using anaphora or by repeating the phrase “I want a wife.” This repetition of “I want” is portrayed as a strong word, which shows how she is comparing herself to her imaginary wife. This makes a sense of belonging and every female. Who reads the essay will portray them there. She also uses this to explain more about the selfishness of a husband, who ask for a wife for his physical and sexual needs. The phage “I want a wife for…” is portrayed as a selfish word by men in regards of wanting a wife, just like her friend in the