Drew Dutton Analysis Essay #1 01/17/13 Ms.

Stephens An Analysis of I Want a Wife By Judy Brady Judy Bradys short story, I Want a Wife, is a fine product of the feminist movement that occurred in the late 60s and early 70s. Brady cleverly demonstrates the hard work that a wife has to submit herself to while sacrificing her own dreams. Through the use of explanative rhetoric and satire, Brady demonstrates the things that a woman, specifically a wife, was expected to be ok with before the feminist movement and why women were not okay with the borderline oppression they were feeling. This paper will discuss the literary devices that Brady uses to communicate the strife of women and will show that Brady was trying to provide propaganda for the feminist movement. From the third paragraph of the short story, Brady has already started using explanative rhetoric. It is apparent that the author wants a wife and deeply expresses this from the beginning but on the surface it may not make sense. What lies under her wanting a wife is the reasoning behind the want of a wife. When the reader begins to look past the surface of the text it is evident that Brady has begun employing this explanative rhetoric to showcase what it is that wives have to sacrifice for their families. Also evident is what wives have to submit themselves to because of their husbands. This list includes being faithful while their husbands are not, having to be ready when their husbands are and they are not, and having to give up dreams of a career and higher education to raise a family. Everything that the narrator states here lands another punch
Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:56 PM Comment [9]: Comma splice Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:50 PM Comment [4]: okay Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:51 PM Comment [5]: This is a solid thesis statement. Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:51 PM Comment [6]: Omit- Start with-Brandy uses literary devices to communicate Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:54 PM Comment [7]: You can say this in fewer words. For instance- Brady uses. This will help the reader focus on your point, instead of getting lost in the words. Look for ways to be concise throughout your essay. Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:55 PM Comment [8]: A comma is needed here. Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:49 PM Comment [1]: 17 January, 2013 Your last name and page number should appear in the upper right hand margin. Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:49 PM Comment [2]: Dont bold or underline the title. Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:49 PM Comment [3]: Put punctuation inside the quotation marks.

to the gut of those who are against the feminist movement. This story in itself was intended to open the eyes of its readers to the realities of being a wife through the aforementioned use of explanative rhetoric. Also used by Brady to promote the life of wives across the country, is satirical humor. Part of the humor in this story lies in the fact that there is a woman who wants a wife. On a surface level, one might think, Oh! The narrator is a lesbian! but that couldnt be farther from the truth. The authors intention was not to present the idea of lesbianism or to present the idea of wanting to marry another woman. While that might be the picture the reader sees while reading the words, I want a wife it isnt the intention of the author to convey this meaning. The meaning was to have someone in the narrators life to be everything to her that she was to her husband. The satirical part of this is the confusion of the woman wanting to have a wife and the image that comes to mind when one thinks of a wife. Also satirical, is the almost venting nature of the narrator. With every word the narrator says, the story gets a little more uncomfortable and a little more into her own personal life. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that the narrator is venting the frustrations of her own life, her own job as a wife, and the way she lives her day to day life to the reader. The satire here lies in the fact that the narrator is using what can be inferred as her own life to say why she wants a wife. The closing line, My God who wouldnt want a wife! depicts how the narrator had been running through this list of things and venting her frustrations. The image of a woman furiously and vigorously running the iron over a shirt comes to mind by the end of this story.

Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:57 PM Comment [10]: Stay in present tense.

Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 7:58 PM Comment [11]: Nice topic sentence and good transition.

Brenda Stephens 1/22/13 8:00 PM Comment [12]: Include the page number.

Judy Brady wrote, I Want a Wife not to express her own latent homosexual tendencies, but to express the state of oppression felt by the average housewife during the feminist movement. Using the techniques of explanative rhetoric and satire, I Want a Wife was written as a form of propaganda to reveal to the world the average day to day duties of a housewife.

Drew, your essay is well organized and informative, as well as entertaining. The essay should be a minimum of 3 pages so you need to elaborate with specific passages or details from the text. I enjoyed reading your draft. Grade: 100