Judy Brudy's "I Want a Thesis

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The seventh section of "I Want a Wife" refers to the sexual duties wives are expected to fulfill as well as the sexual roles and relationships in a marriage. Brudy shows that husbands dictate sexual encounters, not wives. Husbands set the time for sex and which activities to perform. Brudy also mentions that the primary responsibility for birth control falls in the hands of the wife, not the husband. The husband does not want to have any more children, but it is up to the wife to make sure that no children are conceived. Brudy mentions the prerogative of the husband to engage in extra-marital affairs: "my sexual needs may entail more than strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible." On the other hand, wives are expected to remain chaste. The sexual relationships between husband and wife are like the economic and social relationships: imbalanced and in favor of the husband. Wives occupy the subservient, subordinate position.

The eighth section of "I Want a Wife" refers back to the opening anecdote about her male friend seeking a new partner. Brudy implies that males expect to be able to get rid of a wife, trading her in for a new one. The husband also assumes that the mother of his children will assume primary care duties "so that I am left free." The author juxtaposes the husband's freedom by stating in section nine that wives are expected to quit their jobs to "more fully and completely take care of a wife's duties" at home. Thus, the wife is a veritable slave to her husband's needs.

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Brudy concludes by stating bluntly, "My God, who wouldn't want a wife?"

The sarcasm Brudy uses sets the tone for the piece, adding pathos and emotional weight. Brudy's ethos is her identification with both the role of wife and that of husband. Logos, the facts of the argument, include Brudy's deft detailing of the distinct roles of husband and wife in a traditional marriage.

Brudy points out that being a wife is a socially acceptable role for females, but one that severely restricts freedom and liberty. Both husbands and wives have generally accepted those restrictions on freedom and liberty. Brudy admits her complicity in the arrangement simply by acknowledging her role as wife and mother at the beginning of the piece. Brudy defines the role of wife in terms of social subordination, domestic servitude, and economic dependence. The wife has few rights in relation to the husband. She is far more of a slave than she is an empowered human being. Husbands, on the other hand, enjoy considerable freedom, both economically and sexually. Wives are expected to support their husbands and their children without a single selfish thought. Brudy's scathing argument urges readers to rethink their gender relationships and their domestic….....

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