"I Want A Wife"

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 think that this is the thesis, “As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that 1, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?” Rephrased in my own words, she is sarcastically saying wives are treated like slaves.

2. Throughout the essay, Brady repeats the words “I want a wife.” What is the effect of this repetition?

This is the sentence that the reader should take special attention to, and know that this is the point of the story.

3. Brady never uses the personal pronouns he or she to refer to the wife she defines. Why not?

I think that the word “wife” is another name for the slave in the marriage, and that she is sarcastically saying that men treat their wives like slaves.  The acts of the slaves cannot be characterize d by he or she!

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 think this ideal spouse exists in the 1950’s or so. This spouse does not exist anymore because society has given woman more rights and treats them with more respect. She wrote this essay because men used to think their woman’s only job was to work in the house, and she wants to specify that woman are not just slaves to their men.

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?

Brady defines her wife’s duties as of what she does around the house and taking care of the children. Every specific act of being a wife, she defines her wife as doing. She goes through a simple day and every aspect of what her wife does, which is how she organizes the many services. She goes through the kid’s life, the sex life, and the general kitchen wife. I think that some of the acts are true because my mom does many of these acts, like take care of my sister and I, etc. Also, I think she wants the reader to realize that the “wife” in his or her life is not a slave. They should appreciate all the things they do for them. She just wants to be appreciated for all she does, and for the reader to say thank you to the “wife” in their life!

6. Write a letter to Brady responding to “I Want a Wife.” Let her know what you admire or don’t admire about the essay and the extent to which you consider it effective and/or persuasive.

Dear Brady,

I admire everything about this essay. It really makes the reader realize how wives are looked at in the world, and to appreciate them. I do not admire the part about taking care of the kids all the time, because of course the husband helps at that too. I think this essay is very effective in persuading the reader because he or she will pick up the sarcastic tone and actually pick up on the humor. I love how she is supporting woman’s rights! Thank you for having the nerve to confront this controversial issue.  I hope many men in the world read this also and realize what kind of wives they have and give them a little more respect!

Sincerely, Sarah Smiley

7. Write your own piece entitled “I Want a/an X.” You can use Brady’s essay as a model, and in the process, imitate some of her stylistic techniques. Or, alternatively, write an essay about the role of a “wife” in the early twenty-first century, explaining how a wife’s responsibilities complement and are complemented by those of a spouse.

“I want to be a Smoker”

Not to long ago, my father was telling my sister and I about how he use to smoke before my mother got pregnant with us. He enjoyed it; it was his hobby. He continued to tell us how he started smoking when he was young, so I wondered, why shouldn’t I smoke?

I want to smoke because it is the most attractive attribute of a woman. I want to be a smoker because I love dining and breathing in smoke at the same time. I want to be a smoker because many people love the smell it leaves on my clothes. I want to smoke because everyone does it! I want to be a smoker because it just tastes so good.

I want to be a smoker because it’s the best thing for my health.  I want to be a smoker because it keeps my lungs clean and productive. I want to smoke because it does not cause cancer and I will live a very long life. I want to smoke because it keeps my teeth as white as snow. I want to be a smoker because my face will be young and vibrant. I want to be a smoker because I will look like my face is 15 when I am 30. I want to smoke because it won’t affect my overall health at all!

I want to be a smoker because my baby will not be affected. I want to be a smoker because my baby will not have birth defects. I want to smoke because I won’t give people second-hand smoke. I want to smoke because my kids won’t pick up the habit. I want to be a smoker because my husband will not care. I want to smoke because my kids will not be affected when they get older.

Taking these positive factors of smoking into consideration, I want to smoke to overall improve my whole  life!

My God, who wouldn’t want to smoke!?