I Want a Wife Response

I Want a Wife Response

I thought this was funny.

I Want a Wife is a social commentary of the feminist movement and the issues surrounding the movement in the 1970s, and it also happens to be entertaining at the same time. This was not implemented unnecessarily. In order to reach an audience who would otherwise have deaf ears for an essay promoting the feminist movement, Brady tries to relate to the audience using humor. She also makes excellent use of logos, pathos, and ethos. She first establishes herself as a wife, therefore making her a credible commentator of housewives of that time period. Brady states everything a housewife does for her husband, indirectly explaining the housewife’s plight and the husband’s superior position in the household. She also attempts to evoke sympathy within the reader by listing all of what a wife does. Brady establishes herself as a credible source, lists the numerous tasks a wife does for her husband and family, and satirizes her entire essay by constantly mentioning her supposed desire for a wife who would do everything for her. By doing so, she stands the best chance at winning over her readers, who otherwise might not even read a book or essay on a topic such as feminism.

It seems surprising now that a housewife would do all of those things for her husband and not expect anything in return, but forty years ago that was the norm for American society. It would be shocking, even scandalous that someone would challenge the ingrained image of a perfect family with a housewife, working husband and kids. The late 1960s and the early 1970s were times of change, when traditional values were being challenged. A topic as controversial as this essay would definitely evoke some sympathy, but also much disapproval. To remedy this, Brady had to craft an essay that could appeal to her readers without turning them off at the same time. Making her readers laugh would be the best way to capture her reader’s attention. She uses irony and satire to persuade her readers. She constantly says that she wants a wife throughout the essay, though we as the readers know that she doesn’t want a wife; she is simply using this as a ploy to explain to the reader all of a housewife’s duties.

Brady’s argument was balanced on logos, ethos, and pathos, and she did not use overly complex language. Since her target audience was middle-class white women, Brady mentioned situations and topics that someone of that class could relate to. However, her essay received a much wider audience than her intended audience. They, on the other hand, would not be as welcoming of this topic as the former. Overall, I think that Brady did a very good job at drawing her readers in and communicating an idea that would attract a lot of controversy. It is not easy to write something that would appeal to people who hate your topic. 

Seagull Essays: "A Fable for Tomorrow"

"A Fable for Tomorrow"

         I've heard good things about Silent Spring. I've heard that it changed the way people thought about chemical pesticides and their impact on the environment. I've heard that it even changed the way people thought about the environment as a whole. After I read the first chapter, I wanted to know more, so I read the text about Rachel Carson. That's when I knew that she had accomplished her goal of roping the reader into Silent Spring, despite the controversy of the topic. 

         Rachel Carson does an incredible job at encouraging her readers to read a book whose premise was largely ignored at the time. In a decade when people were driving around neighborhoods spraying DDT over lawns and backyards, the author has to successfully capture the reader's attention without putting him/her off. Carson lays a seemingly ordinary story setting for the reader, hooks the reader with a twist in events, and leaves behind one part of the story just suspenseful enough to draw the reader into the book. At first glance, Silent Spring does not seem to be a book about the harmful use of chemical pesticides and human attitude towards the environment. Carson tactfully avoids the mention of DDT or any other pesticides and tells a vague story to ensnare the reader's curiosity, virtually forcing him/her to continue reading the book to find out the rest of the story. Considering the support for DDT and the strength of the chemical industry at the time, it was an achievement for Rachel Carson to even publish the book without consequences.

         That's not to say there were not any consequences. Indeed, the book sparked a chain reaction that would influence the way people looked at the environment forever. It certainly strengthened the fledgling environmental movement at the time. However, there was a substantial amount of controversy surrounding the book that continues to be debated about today. Certainly the chemical industries took offense at her verbal lashing of the use of DDT and the impact on the environment. There were not many people who advocated against chemical pesticides at the time, especially not when DDT was said to reduce the likelihood of a malaria outbreak. Despite these circumstances, Rachael Carson managed to convince most of her readers that DDT was a problem, beginning with the first chapter where she hooked the readers into an unexplored world. 

         

Seagull Essays: "No Name Woman"

Seagull Essays: "No Name Woman" 

I felt that the book was very insightful and interesting in that it delves into the difficulty of living with a Chinese culture in American culture and explores the Chinese culture using a personal experience as a means of exploring. We learn much about the Chinese culture through the habits and stories of Kingston's mother about her aunt. We learn about some of the Chinese people's values, such as their ancestor worship. The essay highlights vital parts of Chinese morals while telling the tragic story of Kingston's aunt. The foot binding of women and the severe social stigma on adultery in China are just some of the aspects of Chinese culture that is emphasized in this essay. There is much more evidence that can be inferred in the depth of this essay that reflect the cultural values of the Chinese. In the beginning, Kingston describes living in America while living with Chinese culture at the same time. She talks about the struggle about balancing the two lives and cultures and choosing which aspect to show in American culture and which to keep in Chinese culture. When Kingston begins talking about her aunt, we learn about the chasm that sets apart the Chinese culture and the American culture. While learning about Kingston's family life in China up until their move to America, we also learn about the Chinese and their beliefs. We learn that family is an integral part of their life and the man decides everything in the family. We learn that adultery is prohibited and punishable (by vandalism) and women were not allowed to deliberately attract men. Women were only allowed to wear their hair in bobs and too much attention to their physical appearance was looked down upon. Relationship decisions were clearly slanted towards the men, which is one thing in Chinese culture that was similar to American culture. It is a wealth of knowledge about Chinese culture that can be inferred from a relatively small essay about the scandal involving someone's aunt. We learn that people shouted at each other to more easily display their emotions and get their ideas across to each other. Whispering and talking quietly was discouraged, as "only sick people had to whisper" (Kingston, 180). Chinese practices in America are out of place, such as when Kingston calls people "older brother" or "younger brother", which is acceptable in China because all village people are considered kinsmen but is not acceptable in America, which by the early 20th century was no longer a village society like the ones in rural China. Daily life in China was expected to be public, no secrets voices or tricks. The fact that Kingston's aunt attempted to hide her illegitimate pregnancy was appalling, perhaps as appalling as the illegitimate pregnancy itself. Whereas in America people stress individualism and self-expression, in China people stress community and respect for others. Overall Kingston gives us a very clear window into life in China before the early 20th century, which reflects on life in China today.