I Want a Wife

Judy Brady’s, “I Want a Wife” (1972) asserts that everyone should want a wife because of the endless expectations society has given them, such as “I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick…” (4). Brady emphasizes this by listing off responsibilities that stereotypical wives are supposed to attain, such as “… a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be,” (4) or, “A wife who is a good cook.” (4) She discuses the obligations of a wife in order to express that the expectation of a wife are unrealistic, “…I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one.” (9) By doing so, Brady hopes that the audience, both men and women, sees the fault in society and perhaps, using a satirical tone, change their views about what a wife should do.