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.   She would like to have a wife that would do all of the things at home so she could go back to school and be more financially independent.


2. Throughout the essay, Brady repeats the words “I want a wife.” What is the effect of this repetition? It adds to the fact that she would want the perfect wife.

3. Brady never uses the personal pronouns he or she to refer to the wife she defines. Why not?  Because she uses the word wife to define who she is referring to to add character to her story

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 Brady doesn't really want a wife but she thinks it would be nice to have a person to take the load off of her life so she could focus on going to school and getting a better job.  I think this ideal spouse does exist.  Some people like to do these kinds of things for their husband so I believe this type of person does exist.  I think she wrote this essay because this wife is exactly what any man would want to have as their spouse and she thinks that this type of women does not exist by using sarcasm.

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?  She defines it by telling about what a wife is in her story.  She organizes the different services a wife provides into different categories such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children, and sex.  I think Brady's characterization of a wife is a accurate interpretation of what the perfect wife should be.  I think that her wife that she creates is the type of wife every man would want.  I think she wants her readers to realize that there is no woman that is perfect and that they should not try to be the perfect person and just be themselves.

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 think your story "I Want a Wife" is a great characterization of what the ideal wife is like.  I think you use lots of detail in what a wife should do for their husband and their kids.  I like how you go through every aspect of life and show what the ideal wife shoulud do for their family.  I think this method is very effective in persuading the reader into thinking they want a wife like that too.  Although, women believe that there is no woman that could do all of these things described in your story.

                                                                                   From,
                                                                                   Me

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.

In the early 20th century there was a strict interperestation of what a wife should be like.  The normal wife stayed at home while her husband worked all day.  She cooked, she cleaned, and she was the primary care for the kids in the family.  She basically ran the household while the man made the money.  This is how it was for many years until the womens rights movement.  After the movement, women started holding jobs and contributed more to the family financially.