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The effects of the role society has on women
The effects of the role society has on women
Challenges of gender roles
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Society will always obtain standards that are difficult to reach. Young women struggle to achieve the goals set by society, for example, how to dress, how to do make-up, and even how to act. Young women are forced to change and act in the way that the society states young women should be. The central issue with facing young women in society consists of dealing with being a “house-wife,” throwing like a girl, and having gender discrimination. For centuries, women have been labeled as the “house wife.” Many are raised knowing that becoming a mother and a wife is what is expected, however, women should not belong to the “classification of people known as wives” (Brady 441). In Judy Brady’s “I Want A Wife,” she speaks not only for herself, but for all the women who should be appreciated more and not just be a wife and a mother. The author emphasizes the jobs a woman accomplishes by stating, “I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want …show more content…
Gender discrimination has, and continues to be a central issue in society. “The Female Body is made of transparent plastic and lights up when you plug it” (Atwood 466). The author states those women are confined by a strategy. Not to mention, the texts describe woman as if they are not a real person. Atwood states how woman “work,” yet women are unique in their own way, and the categories are irrelevant. The way to ease these standards is to stop forcing young girls to reach the impossible. Not only woman, but society should always be comfortable in their own skin. The stereotypes woman deal with every day will continue to be an issue; however woman must continue to fight for the freedom of the standards. Women do not always have to “throw like a girl,” or be a “house-wife.” What society has to say must not cause woman to feel insecure and obligated to be defined by her actions. Society will always be the judge, but woman have the right to choose and be who they
Gender inequality has been a major issue for many centuries now. Societies insist in assigning males and females to different roles in life. The traditional stereotypes and norms for how a male and female should present themselves to the world have not changed much over time. But individuals are more than just their gender and should have the right to act and be treated the way they want. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
In Judy Brady’s, “I Want A Wife” (1971) sarcasm or a humorous tone is expressed on the topic of what makes a wife. Brady repetitively states, “I want a wife” and begins to list what makes “a wife.” Brady defines a wife as someone who takes care of the children, cleans and cooks, gives up her ti...
Women in today’s society seem to be having a very difficult time expressing themselves without dealing with lots of criticism. Common values are standing in the way of women’s drive toward molding themselves into whatever they desire. Our culture has made standards about how should women look, act, and conduct themselves that greatly limits what they can do, and still gain respect. Martin S. Fiebert and Mark W. Meyer state that, “[there are] more negative [gender] stereotypes for men than for women.” This idea doesn’t seem to have a great amount of validity in our present society. Society set certain standards that men are supposed to live up to such as strength and confidence, which are more behavioral characteristics. Women seem to be more trapped than men by societies standards because they are supposed to live up to standards dealing with beauty and size, which are more physical characteristics These specific guidelines have been set by society that are sometimes unattainable for a majority of women. The women that follow the specific criteria are greatly respected, and the ones that try and be innovative usually are criticized if not disliked.
Although Judy Brady discusses how women need to be the perfect homemaker and take care of their families, Brady uses irony to convey that this mentality is the way men think. Brady sees women as very powerful, entitled humans who should not be treated as so. In the article, she explains all the things that the male expects the ideal wife would do. They cook, clean, nurture children, and do all the household duties. Judy Brady sees women as something so special to this earth and men do not respect that.
First of all, in the essay, “I Want a Wife”, Judy Syfers exposes the meaning of “wife” presently in our society. Her argument is based on the premise that all wives are completely devoted to their husbands and are willing to tend to all their needs and satisfy them completely while working, being a good mother, and remaining gorgeous. Syfers reveals her definition of a wife in a very sarcastic and frustrated manner. Also, the style of the whole paper is very ironic. Almost as if she is screaming, she concludes her essay with, “My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?”(pg.648, 11). The cultural values portrayed in this essay are the value of control and the value of wanting to be loved. The value of control is portrayed in our society by the husband having the control and power over his wife. Because of that control, t...
Judy Syfers essay “I Want a Wife” is a perfect example of a feminist. Syfer gives her insight about the traditional gender roles for a woman in society. Syfer refers to the mans perspective on marriage to compose this essay, she provides specific details on what a wife should do. Throughout her paper, she emphasizes how a woman and a man should share the burden of the household. Syfer uses many rhetorical strategies to achieve her purpose on why she “wants a wife”. She uses pathos and anaphora to point her views to the audience.
Since most men have mothers to cater to their every need up until the time they move out, they have outrageous expectations of how a wife should act and what duties she should perform. Judy Brady, who is a wife and mother, wrote the essay "I Want a Wife" to explain what men want in a wife. She discusses the different skills a wife needs to possess for a man to consider her a good wife. Brady’s use of repetition, constant sarcasm, and defensive word choice throughout her essay makes it successful by relating to women’s frustrations of being a wife.
A house is not a home if no one lives there. During the nineteenth century, the same could be said about a woman concerning her role within both society and marriage. The ideology of the Cult of Domesticity, especially prevalent during the late 1800’s, emphasized the notion that a woman’s role falls within the domestic sphere and that females must act in submission to males. One of the expected jobs of a woman included bearing children, despite the fact that new mothers frequently experienced post-partum depression. If a woman were sterile, her purposefulness diminished. While the Cult of Domesticity intended to create obliging and competent wives, women frequently reported feeling trapped or imprisoned within the home and within societal expectations put forward by husbands, fathers, and brothers.
In I Want a Wife, Brady highlights the oppressive nature that women must endure. She describes a stereotypical housewife, and lists the chores and tasks that are expected of her one after another. Brady structures the piece for maximum effect. The fast paced, repetitive structure of her piece adds to her point that the burden of a wife is never ending. She also introduces the piece by examining the actions of a male friend, who seems callous, for he is trying to find a wife right after his divorce‒ as if women are objects to be used and then...
The 1970’s were a time for movements and change, Brady’s I Want a Wife takes inspiration from the feminist movement as she takes the stand of a male and gives a perfect example of the imbalance of power and rights between the sexes. By using a male’s point of view on the definition of a traditional wife she is able to create tension, and with her heavy use of sarcasm is able to make valid points on some serious matters and lighten it with humor. By remaining consistent on her point and maintaining fluidity through her use of sarcasm each and every claim that is made is validated and linked. “I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue care for me and my when I need a rest and change of scene.” Is directly linked to; “I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love p...
Arianna Stassinopoulos wrote in the 1973 book The Female Woman: "It would be futile to attempt to fit women into a masculine pattern of attitudes, skills and abilities and disastrous to force them to suppress their specifically female characteristics and abilities by keeping up the pretense that there are no differences between the sexes" (Microsoft Bookshelf). In her statement we see a cultural feminist response to the dominant liberal feminism of the 1970s.
Growing up, traditional social norms have dictated certain gender roles for men and women in my culture. Men have generally been regarded as dominant, masculine, and independent, whereas women are often depicted as weak, sensitive and dependent (Basow, 1986). Throughout many decades women have been struggling to be equal to men, whether it is at home or the work place. Women have come a long way and are certainly fighting to gain that equality, but gender roles are very important in our society. They have become important in life from birth, and society continues to push these gender roles. Unfortunately, these gender roles have an effect on how society view women. Although women have been slowly progressing through history by gaining equal rights to men, they continue to be objectified by society, especially through mass media. As a result, women that are objectified by society tend to have certain effects.
From the very beginning of history, women were portrayed to be insignificant in comparison to men in society. A woman 's purpose was deemed by men to be housewives, bear children and take care of the household chores. Even so, that at a young age girls were being taught the chores they must do and must continue through to adulthood. This ideal that the woman’s duty was to take charge of household chores was then passed through generations, even til this day. However, this ideology depends on the culture and the generation mothers were brought up in and what they decide to teach their daughters about such roles. After women were given the opportunity to get an education and treated as equals, society’s beliefs undertook a turning point on women’s roles in society. Yet, there still seems to be a question amongst women in search of self identity and expectations from parents.
middle of paper ... ... women know and think that if they don’t act or behave to their expectations they will. looked down upon and possibly neglected by their family and society. To avoid losing friends and family, most male and female, construct their own role in their life.
The story “I Want a Wife”, is a narrative essay signifying the demand placed on females during the 1970's. The author goes on to demonstrate the expectations that our male counterparts placed on women during that era. The way in which the author brought this issue to the surface was enthralling. As described by the author, a wife was to be seen and not heard, she is to cater to every impulse her husband has.Written out in sequence, a woman's duties were overwhelming and needed to be brought to the light. Men were treated like royalty by their wives, while showing little appreciation. A wife was expected to take care of the family while nothing was required of the husband. In addition, a wife was expected to look her best while tackling all of life's problems. The essay does not provide a notable amount of detail, yet the s...