Professor Pohl
Writing 101
2/20/15
What is a Wife?
Woman play many roles in their lives: some are as complex as being a daughter, a friend, and even a sister, but one of the most important roles they play is that of being a wife.When a woman becomes a wife she creates a new family, separate from the one she was born into. This new family is based off of her pure choices, decisions and what she feels is right for herself. This settlement could be the make or break of her life. It is one of the biggest decisions and responsibilities of her life and it all begins with a simple "I do.”
There are so many ways to define the term “wife”. The dictionary, for example, defines a wife as, “ a female partner in a continuing marital relationship.” A wife may also be referred to as a spouse . However, it seems, that the definition of a “wife” has changed over the many years, In
Judy Brady’s short story “Why I Want a Wife” the author deliberates over this change as she discusses how men used to marry woman and considered them to be their maids. The commitments and rights of a wife in connection to her partner and her status in the group and in law, fluctuates in the middle of societies and has changed over the long haul.
In Brady’s “Why I Want a Wife”, she deliberates on how men want a wife that does everything for them, in other words a maid. Brady gives the view of how men back then, and some even now, define as a wife; it was expected for her to clean, cook, take care of the kids if they had any, and cater to the husband’s every need, thus making the term wife, a role. In some
cultures this is truly the case. In a lot of eastern cultures, for example, women are picked by the motherinlaw to marry their son (arranged marriage) and a lot of the times the woman is only there to eventually have kids with her husband, cook, clean and take care of her inlaws and husband. She is not allowed to work, and has little to no freewill. This relates back to Brady’s story because she discusses how men would marry woman for their needs, instead of to form a new relationship and bond with another human being.
At the end of the day, everyone defines a wife differently. As we progress towards a more equal community where women are rightfully seen as equals to men it is becoming more evident that men are viewing woman as more than just maids and are actually incorporating time and effort into building a strong healthy relationship.
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