A Rhetorical Analysis Of I Want A Wife By Judy Brady

In the 1970’s women were expected to stay at home and take care of the household. They were usually not expected to further their education, but instead take care of the children or tend to their husbands’ needs. In 1972 Judy Brady decided to let the readers of Ms. Magazine know how she felt about her “duties”. In her short essay, “Why I Want a Wife,” Brady uses pathos to connect and appeal to the reader’s emotions while explaining why she wants a wife.

In the early 1800’s, Americans were beginning to reform and revolutionize the world they lived in. At this time, America was recovering from the aftermath of the financial and emotional effects of the War of 1812 and the Bank Wars. Considering the cleanliness of drinking water was not high, many people resorted to drinking distilled liquids. The amount of economical stress placed on men in the time lead them to overuse these distilled drinks, also known as alcohol, leading to issues within the home, such as abuse and women’s control of the household. Two main reforms that took place to correct these issues were the Cult of Domesticity and the Temperance movement. The Cult of Domesticity was a reform where women wanted to be represented

F. Carolyn Graglia writes about how she agrees the movement has failed to liberate American women. Her views on feminism concluded that the feminist movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s was a reasonable but a faulty idea, in that it was based on a worthy opinion (that all men and women should be equal). Although it turned into a radical movement in which the judgment of a housewife was reduced to that of a less than the human figure, that

Throughout the ages women have faced varying degrees of sexism and during the progressive era this was a very prominent issue, women had finally had enough of being treated as second class compared to white males and simply males in general. They weren’t allowed to vote, own property if married, they were extremely restricted in what types of jobs they could get and often encouraged to just stay home, not to mention the large wage gap between white males and white females ensuring that on their own women would be hard pressed to survive. In many of the divorce cases the women were still required to take care of the children even though the male technically had custody. Sexism all though not as prominent today is still a very big issue, ranging

Gail Collins joined The New York Times in 1995 as a member of the editorial board. In 2001 she was appointed editorial page editor – the first woman to hold that post at The Times. She is a liberal/progressive American journalist, op-ed columnist, and author, a graduate of Marquette University, and has a master’s degree in government from the University of Massachusetts. Since 2013, Ms. Collins has been a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board. The general focus of her columns is American politics and culture and her most used rhetorical strategies are rhetorical questions, appeals to logos, pathos and ethos, and ad hominem.

Brady appeals to the reader’s emotions in her article why I want a wife by using pathos. She creates a connection between herself and the reader to make the reader feel what she is feeling and relate to her, which by definition is pathos. In Brady’s article “Why I Want a Wife” she develops a valid argument of why she wants a “wife” by using examples of pathos to connect with her female readers of the Ms. Magazine and draw their attention. This is a rather effective method when one considers that this article was written in the 1970’s when women’s rights acts was just starting to take place.

The distinction between men and women in the Antebellum-era Southern United States can be identified in the roles that each gender was expected to fulfill as parents, spouses and citizens. While young men and women alike were encouraged to marry and immediately start a family, females were primarily given the task of caring for their children and husband. Because they were viewed as the ‘morally superior gender’, women were supposed to raise the next generation of obedient citizens, while men were free to pursue a career and get involved in politics. As a result, a movement arose to expand the rights and freedoms of women, with the ultimate goal of creating a society where equal opportunities are

Brady writes a satiric essay about the stereotypes of married life, showcasing what a man should ‘expect’ from his wife. Through her use of emotions, she shows just how imbalanced and absurd

The right that women have today is not what it was in the Progressive Era. Women did not have the right to wear what they want, to do what they want, and to choose what they are going to be in the future. Their future was chosen by the society and that was to become a housewife. In this era while women were told how to behave, men were free to become whatever they wanted to be and to do what they wanted. Eventually, this inequality lead to various revolution that was related to women’s right, one of the activists that lead these revolutions was Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote a book called “Women and Economics” which explained the inequality between men and women in the progressive era (Foner 698). Although women had

Susan B. Anthony is a great woman in history, she was loved and hated by many people. She was an activist who fought for women’s rights, but she didn’t just fight for women, she fought for equal rights for the entire human race. She firmly believed in equality, that’s why I chose to write this paper on her. She is a great role model and inspiration to many women all over the world. So, take this journey with me through history. Susan B. Anthony, here we come!

In the 1960’s a movement began amongst women. It was a movement for women that were seeking equality and rights.There were many movements going on at the time, but this was one of the larger movements. The movement started in the 60’s and carried through the 70’s and so on. It was an important movement that broke down the walls that kept women confined to social standards back then. This movement was the building blocks to why women have the rights we have now.

Austen’s famous statement on marriage and equality continues to resonate in modern society. In comparison to today, the Victorian era significantly suppressed women’s rights (Hughes). However, Austen juxtaposes that idea by stating that it is the man, no matter how wealthy, who ‘must be in want of a wife.’ By saying ‘must’ (word choice) and stating that he has a ‘good fortune’, she is using pathos to attack the male psychology and challenge the meaning of being a complete man. This controversial statement can grab the attention of most male readers.

Women have not always been as respected in society as they are now. In early America, women were banned from participating in most parts of society and their lives were mainly controlled by their fathers and husbands. While the women’s rights movement can be tracked as far back as 1850 is wasn’t until the early 1960s that the movement focused primarily on social inequality. (“Women’s Rights”, March 25 2013) This movement, also known as the Women’s Liberation Movement “aimed to dismantle traditional attitudes towards sexuality, family and reproductive rights, while also raising awareness of sexual harassment and violence. It also fought to end discrimination against women in the workplace and other sectors of American society.” (“Women’s Rights”,

Since we are kids, there has been a battle between men and women. The conflict is also of misunderstanding reactions of each one to problems with authority, financial problems, communication, etc. Women blame men for not wanting the relationship to work, while men defend themselves, saying that women are too emotional. These happen because men and women look for different behavior from the other one. Anyhow, is important to know that the missing piece of a relationship is communication, and understand that men and women are different. Although Tannen, in Sex, Lies, and Conversation, states that communication manners vary from men and women, causing conflict; however, Judy Brady,

Although the Declaration of Independence advocated for a society with equality and basic rights for all humans, the newly created America of the 17th and 18th centuries seemed to forget about giving rights to a large group of people: women. Women were expected to behave in a specific way, facing harsh judgement if they strayed, and their actions were mostly limited to the home. The expectations placed on women’s behavior, which were decided by men, included being obedient and controlling their emotions so they would not bother their husbands. The extent of most women’s education was learning how to care for a household, and there were few places women could go for enjoyment, lessening their quality of life. However, some women, such as Abigail