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I WANT A WIFE
Marriage is one of the key institutions of the society. In a marriage, a husband and a wife
commit to living and carrying out duties together. However, this is not always the case. The
woman is expected to perform all duties including cooking, doing laundry, taking the kids out
and even dealing with the husband’s social, physical and sexual needs while the man is left free
without any responsibilities. Through her essay “I Want a Wife”, Judy Brady uses a serious yet
humorous tone to describe the duties that a wife is expected to carry out. While writing in the
persona of a wife, the author explains why she would like to have a wife.
One of the styles Brady employs in the essay is the use of repetition. She uses repetition
to reinforce her message and portray the character of a husband. Brady consistently describes
what she wants in her wife and the duties the wife should perform. In the third paragraph she
says, “And while I am going to school, I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to
keep track of the children’s doctor and appointments. And to keep track of mine, too” (Brady,
1993). She repeats “I want” to emphasize that a wife is supposed to do all these duties. Brady
paints a picture of a person who will satisfy almost every need, wants and wishes of a man.
However, the husband is not assigned any responsibilities nor does he share any of the wife’s
duties.
Brady is sarcastic when listing all the tasks of a wife, and she does not believe that a wife
should perform all the work alone. The repetition of the word “I” is used to show the husband’s
selfish personality. He wants everything done for him while he attends school to study and meet
friends. She states that “I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. When
my wife and I are invited out by my friends, I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting
arrangements. When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, I want a wife who