1. Does this essay have an explicitly stated thesis? If so, what is it? If you believe the thesis is implied, paraphrase it in your own words.
I believe this essay does have an explicitly stated thesis. “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. Why do I want a wife? “ I believe the thesis is implied because, she’s clearly stating what she wants, and then leads into why she actually wants it.
was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would
like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife? “ I believe the thesis is implied because, she’s clearly stating what she wants, and then leads into why she actually wants it.
2. Throughout the essay, Brady repeats the words “I want a wife.” What is the effect of this repetition?
The words “I want a wife.” are repeated in the essay several times, in my opinion, to show the selfishness behind why some men want a wife, and what they feel should automatically come with having a wife.
3. Brady never uses the personal pronouns he or she to refer to the wife she defines. Why not?
Again, I feel that the reasoning behind Brady using the term “ My wife” instead of “she” is meant to show the control and power some husbands feel they have towards their wives.
4. Do you think Brady really wants the kind of wife she describes—does this ideal spouse
actually exist? Explain why you think Brady wrote this essay.
I don’t believe that Brady wants to be the kind of wife being described at all, In fact there’s a hint of sarcasm in her writing that suggests that she wrote this essay to show what she feels is unfair about what is expected from wives. In reality
5. How does Brady define what it means to be a “wife”? How does she organize the many services a wife provides her husband and family? What do you think of Brady’s characterization of a wife and her responsibilities? How do you think she wants her readers to respond to this characterization? Why?
What it means to be a “wife” according to Brady in a sarcastic point of view is someone who should basically put her family above herself in an excessive sense. In reality I feel that she believes a wife should put her family above everything, but also showing self-respect and pushing herself farther in life as well. I think she wants her readers to realize that .
Dear Judy Brady,
In your essay “I Want a Wife” I admired a lot about the way you went about your writing. First off , I’d just like to applaud you on the message your trying to get across. Even though it’s not a written out opinion, I hear it loud and clear. The way you repeat the saying ”I want a Wife”, in my opinion is pure genius. I can clearly see that behind everything you’ve written in your essay, there is obviously a supposed status Que set for wives in our culture. For example when you say “And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who
assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not
want more children.” , to me, is you trying to show that some men just automatically assume women should be fully willing to give and provide to anything their spouse would like, regardless of how they would be effected by doing it. I really enjoyed the way you went about getting your point across of just how ridiculous this subject really is.
assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not
want more children.” , to me, is you trying to show that some men just automatically assume women should be fully willing to give and provide to anything their spouse would like, regardless of how they would be effected by doing it. I really enjoyed the way you went about getting your point across of just how ridiculous this subject really is.
Yours Truly,
Peter Vaccarella
