Wife for Sale: Slightly Used.

I Want a Wife, by Judy Brady, speaks out on the social dynamics of a 1971 husband and wife relationship using repetition, division, and analysis. Brady says she wants a wife, but does she really? Or is Brady just asking to have less responsibility? The emphasis of this piece is on the imbalance of power in a marriage between the husband and wife. Brady also attempts to illustrate the apathy and selfishness of the stereotypical husband, then throws in a well of complaints about how hard life is. The repetition of the piece is somewhat self-evident; the divisions and analysis, however, are wrapped in sarcasm, dripping with irony, and tilted toward casual, humorless wit. Repetition is a fundamental guideline in many aspects of life. Repetition is how very young children learn the basic building blocks for life such as speech, walking, safety, and security. As adults, repetition is essential in how we do our job, organize our lives, and even drive our cars. The author uses our human tendency towards repetition to keep the reader focused and remember the point. Brady repeats her mantra almost religiously throughout the essay, I want a wife to keep. . . (Brady 360), I want a wife who. . . (Brady 360), I want my wife to. . . (Brady 360), the statement I want a wife is used 23 times, not including the title. Brady demonstrates that continuous use of repetition gets attention, forms a childlike humor quality, and allows the reader to overlook her continuous grammatical errors. Bradys repetitive refrain breaks, like a familiar chorus, in a well known song, turned into a round. It is no longer one chorus of society working together, but a vast chasm of gender division. Brady notes the differences in what is expected from a wife in the 1970s compared to that which is expected of a husband. Brady draws a dividing line down the household based on societal gender definitions much the way two bickering sitcom children would make a line with duct tape down the middle of a shared room. Brady paints husbands as demanding and needy, while at the same time creates, visions of the wife martyr (who suffers in silence), like any beast of burden carrying all the weight of the marriage on her shoulders: I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a wifes duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them (Brady 361). In the 1970s the gender gap was approaching a breaking a point, where the roles of wives in the work place would greatly expand. The control of the social dynamic would cascade toward wives being more available than husbands as employees. In todays society the wife is in most cases is a stronger managerial applicant due to their excellent interpersonal skills. Brady analyzes the divisions in gender inequality of the 1970s household using a dry humor comparison. The author states what she wants is a wife to do all of the things that she feels are put upon her as a wife and mother. Brady makes a laundry list of the things a wife is expected to do: A wife should take care of the children, keep track of appointments, do the laundry, support the husband, take care of physical needs, clean the house, cook the meals, be sensitive to sexual needs, take care of birth control, and all of this without complaint. This seems like every day activities for any decent parent in a relationship. Then again, I am a different generation husband. I do all the things listed in the essay and dont expect any special attention or recognition for it. Its thanks to wives like Brady, and articles like this one, that made me the equal and understanding individual I am. Which is why, I take offense at Bradys use of satire to forge an extremely unflattering image of husbands. Brady portrays husbands as adult sized babies who are takers and not givers. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter my intellectual life with jealousy (Brady 362). While Brady never outright says her opinion of husbands, it is very clear the insinuation in Bradys verbal illustrations of husbands as being lazy socially, I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life (Brady 361). Husbands are generally useless as parents I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. I want a wife who will wash the childrens clothes and keep them mended (Brady 361), and husbands are also sexual narcissists I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it (Brady 361). Brady defiantly has very little use husbands. In the western culture during the 1970s the sexual revolution was in mid-swing. The sexual and gender expectation apartheid was drawing to a close. Bradys entire essay speaks out against husbands using wives to do all the chores and duties for them. The author attempts to rally the troops of equality and understanding to fight against the so called tyranny of husbands. Brady trumpets her battle cry, I WANT A WIFE. I WANT A WIFE, like a civil rights activist posturing active defiance, and trying to bolster a fighting force of the oppressed to fight the oppressors. In my opinion Brady wrote this essay in the wrong decade. Brady was fighting a war that was all but won. This essay fires repetitive sarcastic satire over and over into the dying corpse of marital misogyny. Brady doesnt want a wife. Brady wants a cleaning servant, a nanny, a chamberlain, a host, a chauffeur, and a prostitute. If Brady openly castigates and mocks husbands, she is not likely find one that could do any of those jobs and chores for her.