Ideas by Judy Brady in the Context of Feminist Struggles and Activism - Research Paper Example

Final Generally, womenfolk face a number of personal problems within a male dominated social setup. Some women try to accept domination as an unavoidable evil because they feel helplessness within their private and public domains. On the other side, some other women never try to yield to male domination because they know that the same is inhuman and is totally against equal treatment. Within this scenario, Judy Brady’s ideas and views on feminism in 1970s is noteworthy because she tries to portray how womenfolk are marginalized within their private domains by emblemizing them as wives, mothers, and efficient homemakers. Thesis statement: In the essay named as Why I Want a Wife, Judy Brady makes use of first person perspective to expose male expectations on womenfolk, how this biased outlook hinders feminine self-reliance, and pinpoints the importance of equal rights for both, within their private and public domains. This section of this argumentative research work is broadly divided into: male expectations, biased outlook, and equal rights. Male expectations First of all, the author’s definitions of wife and partner are symbolic of their different roles in their lives. To be specific, the author pinpoints the male expectations on womenfolk from the viewpoint of a woman. The male expectations on womenfolk prove that single male parents must be free from the ‘burden’ of taking care of their children. In Cheryl Glenn’s work, the author/narrator (Judy Brady) made clear that, “I belong to that classification of people known as wives” (12). Besides, they expect their ex-wives to be responsible for taking of their children because it is their duty, without any payment. In the essay, the speaker is probably a female who is aware of the male expectations on her behavior and conduct. For instance, she also is in need of a wife who can free her from economic problems. A wife can help her to continue her education and to support others. Similarly, an ideal wife must be ever ready to fulfill her husband’s physical needs. Her primary responsibility is to keep her family happy. Still, she does not have any right to complain because it is her duty to be faithful to her husband. Besides, she must be ever ready to fulfill her husband’s sexual desires/fantasies. On the other side, he husband can have easy access to his public domain because socialization is utmost important for him. In addition, her husband possesses the right to desert her and to choose any other female as his partner. In short, the male expectation on womenfolk is based upon false impression on feminine identity as a machine to do work. Some may argue that male expectations on womenfolk are based upon the concept of welfare of the family as a whole. From a different angle of view, men are generally considered as the backbone of families. They are responsible to meet the basic needs of the members of their family. Within this scenario, women must be ready to pay attention to their domestic domains because the society expects them to do so. Similarly, women must try to understand that male sexuality is entirely different. For instance, men consider sexual intercourse as a reward for their duty mindedness towards their families. If a wife is not ready to satisfy her husband’s sexual needs, he may go beyond the limits of monogamy. But all these arguments are partially incorrect because the same is based upon male expectations on womenfolk as wives, not as human beings. Biased outlook One can see that feminine self-reliance is based upon their realization of self, as human beings like men. But the society transforms boys to dominant males in future because they learn the basics of bias from others. To be specific, girls are taught to take care of their younger ones. On the other side, boys are trained to deal with the public domain. Besides, boys learn from their fathers and this false knowledge transforms them to dominant males in future years. On the other side, girls are trained to suppress their feelings. For instance, the essay unmasks the bias on womenfolk in 1970s. Still, things are not different, even in the first half of the 20th century because women are forced to face the negative effects of family life and divorce. To be specific, duty mindedness-without any reward- hinders the progress on the womenfolk in general. When they are expected to be within their private domains, there is no scope for progress with self-reliance. When a husband is expecting his wife to be a doll, with which he can play and throw away, female dreams face some limitations. The biased outlook which hinders feminine self-reliance is not limited to the context of private domains. As women are not allowed to be self-reliant, they have less opportunity to have proper socialization. When a husband declares his wife as ideal, he is entrapping her within her private space. The author/narrator (Judy Brady) made clear that, “If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one” (14). In addition, husbands are aware of the fact that socialization can help their wives to be in touch with the mainstream society. So, husbands will not allow their wives to enter the public domain. If wives try to break the limitations, they will be forced to be single parents. Some may argue that rules are created for the smooth functioning of families without any interruption. If wives try to go beyond these rules, they will be forced to face the consequences. If they do not try to do so, they and their family members will be happy. In short, the well-being and happiness of families is based on the attitudes of wives towards their husbands. Some may consider this argument as right but it based upon the biased outlook on feminine self-reliance. To be specific, self-reliance is not limited to the lives of husbands, but extends to the lives of their wives too. This basic realization can save families from internal problems, unexpected divorces, and related emotional turmoil. Equal rights From a different angle of view, Judy Brady makes use of the narrator in the article as her mouthpiece to proclaim her feminine identity. For instance, the narrator very well knows that she is confined within her private domain. On the other side, her partner enjoys immense rights within his private and public domains. When new responsibilities and duties are assigned to her, she does not have enough time to contemplate on her pathetic situation. She knows that she is a human being with equal rights, but her household responsibilities transformed her into a machine to do any menial work within her private domain. There is no one to pay for the works done by her. If her partner feels that she is not good enough to meet his demands and needs, she will be deserted. Within this scenario, equality is impossible because feminine energy and capability are suppressed forever. Still, equality for partners within their private and public domains is important. But the article proves that equality is a myth for the narrator and her story is symbolic of the inequality faced by womenfolk within their families. The author/narrator (Judy Brady) made clear that, “When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife’s duties” (14). The strangest fact is that the narrator does not try to go beyond the limits of her private domain. Instead, she too is in search of an ideal wife without specific rights. This proves that the narrator is totally conditioned by male domination. In short, the article pinpoints the importance of equal rights for partners within their private and public domains. On the other side, some may argue that equality is impractical within a family because family is based upon centralized control. To be specific, husbands are entitled to have more rights because they protect their families. On the other side, wives must be ready to support their husbands because role is different within their families. When wives undertake the responsibility to meet the economic needs of their families, the fore pointed argument will become invalid. So, economic independence-originating from education and job-can save womenfolk from unequal treatment within their private and public spheres. Summing up, the ideas put forth by Judy Brady are innovative and noteworthy because the same can be applied to the wider context of feminist struggles and activism. The author’s arguments prove that male expectations are based upon domination because husbands expect unreasonable dependency from their wives. Within this context, biased outlook on femininity and female roles within private domains limits womenfolk from being independent. Besides, male domination is totally against equality and self-reliance of womenfolk. So, the narrator’s wish to have a wife to do her works is quite reasonable because male domination transformed her into a machine which is supposed to do household works. In short, Judy Bardy’s work is a revolutionary attempt to spread the message of equality within families, disregarding the age old social norms based upon bias against femininity. Works Cited Glenn, Cheryl. The Harbrace Guide to Writing, Concise. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Read More