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- 12/1/22 questions on the essay "Why I Want a Wife"
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December 1, 2022 at 3:24 pm #82470
Prof. MasielloParticipant1) An essay by Judy Syfers called “Why I Want a Wife”
http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/rainbow/wife.html
a) What is the writer saying essentially: why does she want a wife? Is it because wants
a same-sex relationship or is it something else?b) This is an example of satire. Please look up “satire.” Do you think her essay is a
successful expose of what husbands expect? Is it funny or dated (it was written 50
years ago during the height of the Women’s Rights movement). Is what is says
about husbands offensive or is it a criticism of what women actually put up with?c) Notice what she says about what is expected when a family goes on a vacation:
whose children are being taken care of? (Notice the power of one word: is it “our”
or “my”?)December 1, 2022 at 6:49 pm #82472
Elin LouzParticipantA) I believe the author says she wants a wife because wives take care of everything a husband ignores. She speaks about how the man in the relationship doesn’t do much and the wife has to take on the heavy load. I do not think the author is referring to same-sex marriage in this essay.
B) I enjoyed this essay I thought it was quite funny however, I don’t think this is an accurate representation of what most men expect these days maybe back then. I’d like to believe and hope that we are more developed as a society for men to expect still women to take care of everything the author listed. I don’t think this essay is offensive I think it is pretty accurate to what men expected in those times and sometimes even now.
C) In the essay she says “my kids” my assumption on why that was used is because in the context it was taken sounds as if the wife works for them in a sense.December 1, 2022 at 9:22 pm #82475
Tiffany OParticipantA.) Essentially I think the writer is saying she wants a wife because she wants someone to take care of her. Or lighten the burden on her shoulders. She wants someone other than herself to fill her “role”.
B.) I think her essay is a good example of what men want their wives to do. Everything she said like “I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot miss classes at school. My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job.” Is something some men expected from their wives with no complaints. It is funny and ironic, although the way we look at the “role” of wives have changed in todays time, i don’t think this essay is outdated. Some thought like this in those times and some still do. While I was reading I thought to myself, “Wow! Men really think like this?? This is ridiculous.” What she says is criticism of what women are expected to put up with.
C.) When she says “my children” I think she means either the husbands children from a previous marriage or engagement. Or she is saying “my” because the husband doesn’t consider the children “ours”
December 2, 2022 at 12:43 am #82476
Manahill ArshadParticipantA. The author wants a wife to take care of her mentally and physically, support her financially and take care of the kids as well while she goes to school and does nothing just wants a wife who can fulfill her needs in the end. She thinks that the wife’s role is to be at home and take care of the kids while doing a job and providing for the family as well.
B. Reading the essay makes me think about what a woman is expected to do in her life after marriage she is put up with many responsibilities of the house and work and she needs to fulfill the needs of her husband at the same time. It is outdated in my opinion because not a day’s women and men should be equally involved in the household chores and the woman does not have to suffer alone by herself. This is what the husband expects from his wife and how she should just magically balance everything in life.
C. It is trying to say how the woman should be the one in charge of the kids on vacation as well but in reality, she needs a mental break from the chores as well of the house.December 2, 2022 at 9:31 pm #82483
VivianaParticipantA) I believe the writer wants a wife since wives fulfill more expectations than men. Men and women are opposites, and reaching a mutual understanding or similarities is difficult. The writer wants a wife that can essentially fulfill the role that she plays in her life.
B) In fact, this essay made me chuckle since this is coming from a woman who believes this is how men represent themselves when they have a wife. Granted, this essay was made 50 years ago so no, it isn’t offensive to men since this was men’s mentality. I’m sure there were women who were not pleased with this lifestyle. However, it is embarrassing and degrading to men, if a woman was to say this statement it can be offensive to men.
C) She’s putting herself in the place of her husband when she says my children she’s assuming the role of authority and power. When she says my children, she is separating the power and assuming the role of her husband. Because that’s how she sees herself with her husband that they are not her kids they are his kids.
December 6, 2022 at 8:00 pm #82566
Tahreem ImranParticipantA) I think the author needs wife so she can take her of her physical and mental needs as told in the essay. It’s for her general needs I think.
B) I think her essay is a successful expose of what husbands expect because they want wives to fulfill their daily needs and take care of physical, mental and emotional needs. I think it’s not outdated because it was in the time of women’s rights movement and everyone should understand the fact that women are very supporting and helpful in every household and in men’s life.
C) She means they both should be taking care of the children because it’s not just her job. She wants to share the responsibilities.December 21, 2022 at 3:02 am #82772
Ali AmmarParticipantA) It seems like she wants a wife as a means to have someone that can help fulfill her role as a wife so she can focus on her personal life. She wants a stress free time at school and she believes that
having a wife would help her be taken care of instead of her taking care of someone else.
B) Since this is in fact satire, it can be comical to read, however, the representation of a “husband “role is definitely dated and the representation of a “wife” role is dated. In today’s society,
the roles between husband and wife seem to be more individual, rather than standard.
C) At the beginning of the essay, the wife states ” I am A wife. And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother”. this could be what she means when she says “my kids”. by using the word “my”
she is defining what is expected of her role to take care of them.
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