How is Satire Used in ' Why I want a Wife'?

1. What is Satire?
Satire is the use of ridicule or sarcasm to expose vice and folly through mocking and/or irony.


2. How is Satire used in the text?
It is used in the text through lists, short sentences, repitition and hyperbole. These literary features create a satirical effect to 'Why I want a Wife' to ensure that the reader makes sense of the purpose that Judy Syfers wrote the text.
A phase where satire is presented is,' I want a wife who will work and send me to school'. In real life such a statement would not be made because it is sterotypical that a man can work and send himself to school. For Syfers to use this shows how she is mocking what a man thinks a woman should do for them. The verb, send, connotes force or unwillingness to go somewhere. The use of this verb shows the reader that Syfers is implying that if it was not for the Wife the man would not go to school on his own accord.


3. Why is it used and to what effect ?
The reader thinks that Satire is used to question the role of a Wife in the home. It may also be there to show how men think a marriage should be like in a sarcastic way. An example of that is " A wife who will pick up after me". The use of the pronoun,me, connotes selfishness from the man and a somewhat spoilt nature from him also. The modal verb, will, shows that that is whats expected from a Wife. A woman's role as a Wife is not to have to pick up after her husband it should be a joint and willing thing to do. This is also another reason why Syfers uses Satire.

‘Should Married Women Work’ and ‘Women Talking to Men’-Magazine Article

Should Married Women Work?

This is a question that challenges the minds of people in today’s’ society.  We all know that back in the day this was not a question for women. They would not even ask, ponder or worry about working. The verb work didn’t even correlate to associate with women. They were not welcome in the work force as their work force was the home. It would seem like there was no empowerment, strength or assertiveness amongst the women in those days but yet women being able to work crept discreetly but yet rapidly into the forefront.

Would it be questioned or apply to a married man to not work? What makes a married man different to a married woman? Physical appearance is the only distinguishing factor that enables men to ‘get away’ with not being looked down upon by society for working. Can’t married men cook, clean, love, nurture, look good, socialize? Can’t married men eat, sleep, breathe, hurt, and cry? Can’t women’s attributes be the same for a man? So therefore, why shouldn’t married women be able to work?

Is the ring a problem? One cannot tell if someone is married without them wearing a ring or being told by the wed or others. If that is a possibly, can women that are not married work? What makes the difference? It comes down to the ring. No? Why isolate the world of work to people who wear wedding rings?

So the answer to this question is,

‘What difference does it make for a married woman or an un-married woman to work?’

Commentary

I began by asking a question in order for the reader to conjure their own ideas on the topic of the article. I also ended with a question for the same purpose and to make aware that there are no obvious differences between women who are married and those who are not. Most of the article was questions to not give my opinion but for the readers to make up their own mind on the suggested questions. There are also lists to show that there is a lot to a person.

Bitch Manifesto-Autobiography

Bitch Manifesto-Autobiography

...@ work today and from since the time I started this job, I had to put up with the challenges of being a bitch. I have been reading The Bitch Manifesto and have come to the terms that that is what I am. I may not be ugly and have the same qualities as the Physical section in the Manifesto but I do live by the slogan, ‘Bitch is Beautiful’! I affirm, re-claim what I am which is a Bitch.

What makes me a Bitch? I am empowering, hard-headed and stubborn! I can give someone in their suit an eye that could strike them dead. Women look at me with fear and look somewhat like children near me. Yet, I feel like this...

Sometimes I wonder if people realise that I am a bitch. If when I get my coffee in the kitchen, I ‘smell’ like a Bitch. If when I go to scan papers that I should scan one saying, I am a Bitch so everyone knows for certain. If when I turn away from speaking to my boss, he says, ‘Boy is she a Bitch?’ I do want to embrace the Bitch that I am but being in this environment where they can judge me makes me awkward. I note to myself that these people haven’t even met the Superbitches that I know. And boy am I glad!

Am I as confident as the Bitch Manifesto considers the best Bitches to be? Am I as aggressive, independent and ambitious as I can be? I seem to battle with myself in these four walls in my cubicle. Outside, I my Bitch’s Bitch but here I feel like am dwindling with the non-bitches of the world.

Commentary

I chose to use rhetorical questions in the last paragraph to make the readers understand that at work she questions her true Bitch as she’s challenged by the environment. I used a lot of repetition of the pronoun, I, just to re-enforce that the article is about the woman in question. The effect of that was to make her seem very selfish and pompous. I changed the tone/vybe of the speaker from being very sure of her self to unsure to show the effect of how work has made her. I used the @symbol to give the speaker a casual beginning to their autobiography. The small case in the compound word, non-bitches, was used to emphasis that these people were inferior to her in particular. I used a lot of references and key words from the actual Bitch Manifesto in order for the two to relate and make known the ‘seriousness’ of it.

Interview with journalist and suffragette

Imagined Interview

Journalist: This morning we have Louis in studio with us. Louis is a suffragette who has experienced a lot in her time with this issue.
So how was your time being a suffragette, Louis?

Louis: Well when you’re a woman fighting for equality, it’s hard to think that equality can be achieved as women are viewed as weak. I fought hard for women to vote and I am happy that we can all have a say in society.

Journalist: Yes, all over the world your work for women’s rights as an activist can be commended and admired. How did you go about creating this accomplishment?

Louis: Personal perseverance has to be the main reason why I think I’ve achieved that much. I stood strong and devoted to women’s feelings about not feeling equal to men by not being able to work. One woman said to me once that they felt ‘deprived’ of freedom as she contributes to the economy and household. That stuck with me and I would hope that for every woman that feels the same way, this would stop that feeling for them.

Journalist: Yes, Yes. I am sure that our listeners would agree with that point. Louis is going to share with us and hour of her time where you can call in and ask about her trials, fighting for women’s rights. Thank you for being here Louis.

Louis: It’s been a pleasure.

Journalist: Coming Up...........

Commentary

I chose to use short sentences for the journalist as they generally want to ask questions and not want to bombard the listeners with information. Also, the journalist repeats small words to bring off to that they are acknowledging what the interviewee has said.
I used lexical sets on women’s rights to emphasis the purpose of the interviewee being there. Also used a calm tone for the interviewee to bring across that she is humble for achieving such a thing.