Judy Brady's Essay: I Want A Wife

1277 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender Roles

I’m No Man’s Woman

In her essay, “I Want a Wife” Judy Brady declares the necessity to reevaluate our current global ideas about gender equality; by speaking in a sarcastic manner to express the fact that women are exploited as domestic slaves. By Brady proposing the idea of “wanting” a wife, it elucidates extreme sarcasm in order to demonstrate how gender roles are seen today. Brady embodies a males mind as she claims that she too would want a wife in order to be taken care of, to have a house clean and the babies pampered. The typical household would compose of a father who goes to work every day, children that will regularly attend school and a wife that is expected to attend work, cook, clean, and be there when ever someone needs …show more content…

The tone in which Brady writes this seems demanding and implies that a female is forced to control her sexual urges to make a man feel masculine and can only please her man when he wants to have sexual intimacy. This gives no consent or space for what a wife would think. This is abusive because she would have to accept whatever the man wants and have no say in opting out if she is not up for …show more content…

This is sickening because females are humans just like men. This part of her essay begins to weaken because Brady diminishes the pride from the “wife” and treats it in an inhuman matter. To replace a human such as having a divorce requires paperwork and the partner doesn 't deserve a kick to the curb because they have imperfections or seem to not have all the qualities a wife should have. It 's the imperfection in our personalities that makes the human population unique and to treat it as something to be taken for granted is not right. It 's the norms of society that grows us up to think this narrow minded way in believing that women particularly wives are mandated to always cook, clean and go to work, it 's everyone 's responsibility to keep a home clean, men and women. To be pressure to grow up and follow the rules society has been brought up retrains the freedom of individuals to be

Show More
Related

  • Shirley Chiisholm's Patriarchy: Race, Revolution And Women

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    This source provided the unique perspective of what was thought to be the perfect household, with a man who worked and a wife who cooked and cleaned. However, it also showed how a woman could also do what a man can do, and in some cases they could do it even better. This work is appropriate to use in this essay because it shows how men talked down to their wives as if they were children. This work shows the gradual progression of woman equality and how a woman is able to make her own decisions without her husband’s input.

    Read More

  • Sociology Of Family In The Family

    1527 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marriage was once for the sole purpose of procreation and financially intensives. Living up to the roles that society had placed on married couples, more so women, is no longer the goal in marriage. Being emotional satisfied, having a fulfilled sex life and earning money is more important in marriage (Cherlin, 2013). Couples no longer feel the obligation to put the needs of their partner in front of their own needs. In the 1960’s and later it was the woman’s job to ensure that the house was clean, the children were bathed and dinner was prepared before the husband came home work. However, once more and more women began to enter the workplace and gain more independence, a desire for self-development and shared roles in the household lead way the individualistic marriage that is present in today’s society (Cherlin,

    Read More

  • Incongruity In Jane Brady's I Want A Wife

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    Now a days, Society think about women that they , have youngsters, and deal with the family unit. However with such a significant number of assignments a spouse is required to finish, what makes her any unique in relation to a worker or a cleaning specialist? By the spouse being relied upon to watch over the tyke after a separation, clean the house, deal with the kids, and serve the necessities of the husband, Brady communicates that she would need a wife as well. In Brady's article "I Want a Wife", Brady utilizes incongruity and reiteration to mirror society's view on ladies and spouses.

    Read More

  • Wife vs. Daughter in Only Daughter by Sandra Cisneros and Why I Want a Wife by Judy Brady

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the short story ?Why I want a wife? by Judy Brady, she goes into detail what being a wife is like. The tedious details of day to day activities, the strain and hard work of being a ?good wife?, and the unappreciated service a wife must perform to be accepted by her husband. This story made me feel like, the author

    Read More

  • Brady Vs. Barry: A Comparison of Two Authors

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both Brady and Barry are targeting different audiences through their essays. Brady is ironically sympathizing with wives everywhere who want the privileges and abilities that history and culture have given to their husbands. Many times throughout her essay she mentions wanting a wife. One time she said, " I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life"(Brady 413). She further explained by saying "I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about things that interest me and my friends"(Brady 413). Attempting to reach the more sensitive female audience, she exclaimed, "I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure I am satisfied"(Brady 413). She also mentions "[wanting] a wife who will not demand sexual attention when [she is] not in the mood for it"(Brady 413). Barry is speaking to the male audience, by responding snidely to negative stereotypes, and proving that we are lucky to have men. It is a commonly known fact that women think men cannot find anything in the kitchen. Many women believe, "that a man can open a refrigerator containing 463 pounds of assorted meats, poultry, cold cuts, co...

    Read More

  • The Role Of Gender In Down From Heaven By Colleen Wagner's Down From Heaven?

    1871 Words  | 4 Pages

    Historically, it is conventional for the woman to be the submissive figure who relies on her husband to be the strong provider for the home, however these are very restricting gender roles for both parties. In Down from Heaven, Laurel is begging for food from Cheater,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of I Want A Wife By Judy Brady

    245 Words  | 1 Pages

    I Want a Wife by Judy Brady is a humorous essay that provide reasons why some men want wives. Reflecting on her friend and his actions she produced possible conclusions why he would pursue another wife. The author used specific descriptive details to explain the actions of a wife and illustrate why a person including herself would want a wife. The detail in the writing does not leave the reader looking for clues nor leave anything to the imagine.

    Read More

  • Judy Brady I Want A Wife Analysis

    571 Words  | 2 Pages

    This can be deducted by the fact that she continuously says “I want a wife”, and wives are typically had by males alone. In addition, she assumes that her audience is sexist. For example, she said that wives shouldn’t complain to their husband but husbands can complain to their wives (¶ 5). She assumes that her audience thinks women have to do all of the dirty work while men educate themselves and relax. For example, Brady wrote “I want a wife who will work and send me to school” (¶ 3). This implies that women don’t go to school and men don’t do work. She also wrote “I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest...” (¶ 4). This implies that women don’t get to have breaks, but the rest of the family does. I don’t believe Brady is trying to write from the perspective of any specific

    Read More

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of An Ideal Husband

    164 Words  | 1 Pages

    The article begins as she explains that “I belong to that classification of people known as wives.” She uses the term wife in the same way someone may refer to themselves as a doctor. Furthermore, she states that “I too, would like to have a wife.” She uses the term wife as more of an object, not a loving partner. A perspective of a man writes the next seven paragraphs. The author adopts a serious tone, but uses satire to illustrate the selfish mentality some men may have in a relationship. Throughout out the article, the author lists tasks that an ideal wife must do, such as supporting the husband financially, attending to all children at all times, keeping the house clean, cooking amazing meals, and being sexually available at all times.

    Read More

  • The Women’s Rights Movement

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Society

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Warren Farrell is a well educated man who focuses his attention on gender. In his essay “Men as Success Objects,” he writes about gender roles in male-female relationships. He begins, “for thousands of years, marriages were about economic security and survival” (Farrell 185). The key word in that statement is were. This implies the fact that marriage has changed in the last century. He relates the fact that post 1950s, marriage was more about what the male and female were getting out of the relationship rather than just the security of being married. Divorce rates grew and added to the tension of which gender held the supremacy and which role the individuals were supposed to accept. “Inequality in the workplace” covered up all of the conflicts involved with the “inequality in the homeplace”(Farrell). Farrell brings to attention all ...

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Why I Want A Wife

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brady uses a lot of ethos in this article. She, as an ex-housewife, knows what wives do for their husbands, and how they treat them. With Brady’s past of being a housewife, she has gained all the knowledge that she needs to know what she wants in a wife. One may think that her statement “ I want a wife” means that she literally wants a woman to marry, but it just means that she wants someone to do all the things for her that a wife does. She wants someone to do all kinds of things for her, she wants a wife who will clean all her cloths, make her dinner, basically be her slave. In her mind, she can’t see why she should not be allowed one, as feminist she believes that all women need the same opportunities a man has.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    1952 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • acting like a lady

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the 1950’s, women have been seen as very dainty and sensitive creatures who are meant to be silent partners to their mates. A woman’s place was in the home-cooking, cleaning and watching after her children. Women were to get up every morning and prepare lunches for their breadwinning husbands, as well as wake and dress the children for school, cook breakfast, do housework and have a hot meal on the table when her husband was to return home. Women have stepped down to their traditional roles as housewife and caretaker, and it has raised many issues in society today. It was considered a woman’s job to be a good cook and be a whiz with a broom, in fact, it is what made them so darn attractive. Times, they are a changing. In fact, the U.S Department of Labor states that in the year 2008, women will make up 48% of the work force. That means that more women will be going to college and getting and education, as well as heading out into the workforce to make a name for themselves.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Judy Brady's I Want A Wife

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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

    Read More

More about Judy Brady's Essay: I Want A Wife

Open Document