Page 103 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

I Want a Wife 4
Judy Brady TRM ELL Essential Guide Handout chapter 4
An ELL Essential Guide for this r eading
An ELL Essential Guide for this reading
Judy Brady (1937–2017) was born in San Francisco and earned a BFA can be found in the T eacher’ s Resour ce
can be found in the Teacher’s Resource
in painting from the University of Iowa in 1962. She was active in Materials.
Materials.
political and environmental movements as an editor and author. She Other Voices / Judy Brady
edited Women and Cancer (1990) and One in Three: Women with
Cancer Confront an Epidemic (1991). Brady’s work has also appeared TRM Vocabulary Handout
in periodicals such as Greenpeace magazine and the Women’s Judith Brady V ocabulary in Context exer cises based on
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
Vocabulary in Context exercises based on
Review of Books. Since appearing in the premiere issue of Ms. challenging words from this reading can be
ds fr
challenging wor
eading can be
om this r
magazine in 1972, “I Want a Wife” has become a classic piece of feminist found in the T eacher’ s Resour ce Materials.
found in the Teacher’s Resource Materials.
writing and humor. It was reprinted as “I [Still] Want a Wife” in Ms. in 1990.
belong to that classification of people known the job. It may mean a small cut in my wife’s BUILDING CONTEXT
I as wives. I am A Wife. And, not altogether income from time to time, but I guess I can tol-
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
incidentally, I am a mother. erate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange Accor ding to her June 2017 obituary (avail-
According to her June 2017 obituary (avail-
Not too long ago a male friend of mine and pay for the care of the children while my able thr ough the SFGA TE website and the
able through the SFGATE website and the
appeared on the scene fresh from a recent wife is working. San Francisco Chronicle), Judy Brady was a
San Francisco Chronicle
divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, I want a wife who will take care of my physi- full-time housewife whose trips to Cuba and
full-time housewife whose trips to Cuba and
with his ex-wife. He is looking for another wife. cal needs. I want a wife who will keep my house Nicaragua “deepened her commitment to
Nicaragua “deepened her commitment to
As I thought about him while I was ironing one clean. A wife who will pick up after my children, social and economic justice.” She survived
social and economic justice.” She survived
breast cancer in her forties and then turned
evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, a wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife br east cancer in her forties and then tur ned
much of her attention to how the environ-
would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife? who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, much of her attention to how the envir on-
ment plays a role in causing cancer. You
I would like to go back to school so that I can replaced when need be, and who will see to it ment plays a r ole in causing cancer . Y ou
may want to look up the obituary and share
become economically independent, support that my personal things are kept in their proper may want to look up the obituary and shar e
it with students to help them understand the
myself, and, if need be, support those depen- place so that I can find what I need the minute I it with students to help them understand the
diversity of her experiences and activism.
dent upon me. I want a wife who will work and need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife diversity of her experiences and activism.
send me to school. And while I am going to who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan
school I want a wife to take care of my children. the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping,
I want a wife to keep track of the children’s prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and BUILDING CONTEXT
doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I
T
o help students better understand the
track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my want a wife who will care for me when I am sick To help students better understand the
expectations of wives during dif
ent
fer
children eat properly and are kept clean. I want and sympathize with my pain and loss of time expectations of wives during different
decades, you could have them research
a wife who will wash the children’s clothes and from school. I want a wife to go along when our decades, you could have them r esear ch
oles in the 1940s, 1950s, and
s r
women’
keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good family takes a vacation so that someone can women’s roles in the 1940s, 1950s, and
1960s. For example, Gale’
s U.S. History
nurturant attendant to my children, who continue to care for me and my children when I 1960s. For example, Gale’s U.S. History
database has a page titled “Women’s Roles
arranges for their schooling, makes sure that need a rest and change of scene. database has a page titled “W omen’ s Roles
in the 1950s” and History Today includes
they have an adequate social life with their I want a wife who will not bother me with 5 in the 1950s” and
omen in the 1950s.” Similarly
“The Story of W
peers, takes them to the park, the zoo, etc. I want rambling complaints about a wife’s duties. But I “The Story of Women in the 1950s.” Similarly, ,
U.S. News & World Report has an article
a wife who takes care of the children when they want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the U.S. News & W orld Report
titled “The 1960s: A Decade of Change for
are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when need to explain a rather difficult point I have titled “The 1960s: A Decade of Change for
Women.” (Beware, however, of a magazine
the children need special care, because, of come across in my course of studies. And I want W omen.” (Bewar e, however , of a magazine
s Guide.”
article called the “Good Wife’
course, I cannot miss classes at school. My wife a wife who will type my papers for me when I article called the “Good Wife’s Guide.”
Though r
egularly cited, it is not believed to be
must arrange to lose time at work and not lose have written them. Though regularly cited, it is not believed to be
209 an authentic and accurate publication.) Stu-
an authentic and accurate publication.) Stu-
dents could work in groups to research differ-
dents could work in gr oups to r esear ch dif fer -
ent decades and create short presentations,
ent decades and cr eate short pr esentations,
or they could construct social media mes-
or they could construct social media mes-
sages for imagined women from the different
05_sheatlc4e_40925_ch04_170_315.indd 209 12/10/22 2:34 PM
eras. (For example, what kinds of things
DIFFERENTIATION CLOSE READING would a 1950s housewife tweet about?)
Connections to World To help students understand the major “ben-
efits” of a wife (and Brady’s line of reasoning),
Given that Brady’s essay was published in you could have them identify the major focus
1971, some of her expectations are outdated. of each paragraph. For example, day-to-day
You could have students write a revised ver- practicalities, physical needs, emotional
sion that reflects modern expectations. You needs, social needs, and sexual needs. Is
might also raise the question of the relevance there a progression of ideas in the sequence,
of Brady’s satire to different family structures. and if so, how would you characterize it? Are
How might household responsibilities, such there important parts of a marital relationship
as the ones in Brady’s essay, be distributed in that Brady does not address?
homes with a single parent, same-sex par-
ents, or any other arrangement beyond a het-
erosexual couple?
Other Voices / Judy Brady 209
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