What is the article about?
The article is about family issues. It resembles soap operas.
What is the style of the article?
The style of writing was descriptive writing. I think so because it focused on describing the character (wife). It was also poetic and the desirable wife was described in detail.
What is the tone of the article?
The tone of the article was depressing. This is so because the author seems to be in deep thought and facing serious difficulties that lead her to consider getting a ‘wife’.
List at least 10 vocabularies that you are interested in or hardly understand
The vocabularies included nurturant, hours, d’oeuvres, rambling, replenish, clutter, liberty, intellectual, adherence, and monogamy.
Summary of the article
In the first paragraph, the author clarified that she was a wife and a mother. In the second paragraph, she talks of a man she met recently. The man had been recently divorced and was looking for another wife. This is where the thought of having a wife came to the author. In the third paragraph, the author explained the reasons why she needed a wife. She was thinking of furthering her studies and becoming financially stable. She also needed a wife that would take care of the children’s needs. This individual had to ensure that the children were well fed and clothed. The children’s social needs also had to be addressed.
In the fourth paragraph, the author argued that she needed a wife that would take care of her physical needs. The individual had to do her house chores, ensure that her clothes were clean, ironed, and mended, cook her meals, and do the shopping. She also needed that person who would go on vacation with her family and take care of them whenever they need. In the fifth paragraph, the author explained that she needed a wife who would simply work and not complain about her duties. She also needed to be a good listener so that she would listen to her as she presents her issues.
In the sixth paragraph, the author needed a wife who would take care of her social life. This included taking care of her children as she went to meet her friends. She was also to attend to the visitors that came visiting. In the seventh paragraph, the author expressed her desire to have a wife that would take care of her sexual needs. The wife had to be faithful and understanding. In the eighth paragraph, the author elaborates that she needs the freedom to exchange the wife for any other suitable one. In the ninth paragraph, she expects the wife to quit working when she clears school. The wife would take care of all duties. Finally, she wonders who would not want a wife.
What kind of reader do you think the author was writing for?
I think the author was writing mainly to young single mothers. This is so because she talks of a wife and a mother. From the way she presents her ideas, she appears to be a single mother since she was thinking of a recently divorced man and empathized with him. She seems to be going through the same thing the man is going through. The struggles of a single mother seem to be highlighted in detail. These include the responsibilities of raising children and the need to get space that would allow her to do other things besides taking care of her children. She feels like her social life has been affected since she does not have adequate time with her friends.
Do you agree or disagree with the author’s opinion? What does the author want to inform us? Do you think the author is trying to convince the reader to do or feel something?
I agreed with some of the author’s ideas but disagreed with the one to do with seeking sexual fulfillment from the wife and demanding freedom to replace the wife for another. This is a persuasive article since the author is trying to convince the reader to feel something. The author is trying to convince the readers about the importance of having a wife. She does this by presenting an argument while establishing facts to support it. She was trying to convince the reader to agree with her judgment and to adopt her way of thinking about women in her situation. It is a persuasive essay since it was quite convincing. She was confident in putting across her ideas and values.
The author also tried to persuade the reader to adopt her way of thinking by writing from the reader’s perspective. This way, she was able to catch the reader’s attention. She finished by asking why anyone would not want to have a wife. This highlights that the values placed for a wife were those that anyone would want to have. Surely, anyone would want to have such a wife – who would do all you want her to do but at the same time give you the space that you need.
The hardest paragraph to understand
The hardest paragraph to understand was the ninth one. This is because she seems to be talking about two different people when referring to the wife. She says that she wants a wife who will take care of her wife’s duties.
References
I Want a Wife. Judy Brady.