Why I Want a Wife by Judy Brady

  

     Judy Brady, informative essay, Why I Want a Wife (1972), explores the reasons of why she would want a wife and that explains to us why a man should want a wife also. Judy Brady begins by giving her background saying that she was a wife and a mother and she mentions to us about a male friend of hers that was recently divorced. Brady realized that she would like to have a wife because of all of the duties that a wife completes. This is directed to the general audience but mainly women that feel they have been used.
     While reading this essay I felt as though the author was explaining to us all of the responsibilities that comes with being a wife. She mentions things such as making sure the children eat properly and are kept clean (107), takes care of the children when they are sick (108), and how she is suppose to arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job (108). The author makes me feel as though the husband really doesn't have a part in raising and taking care of the children. Her life should basically revolve around him and the children and she doesn't really have a voice in the relationship. Then the author goes into more details about the wife should take care of her husband and I thought some of the points she made were pretty selfish and self-centered. In the essay it says that the wife is supposed to entertain the husband's house guest and how the wife is suppose to satisfy his sexual needs when he wants it (108-109). I feel as in a relationship everything should be 50/50 all the time and not just one-sided. Each person has a hand in raising the children because they decided together to have the child in the first place.
     This essay was written so the audience could see where she was coming from and relate to the audience. Even though I am not married, it made me rethink the whole marriage thing in whether I am ready to be responsible for all those duties as a wife. At first I felt like it was too much but then again as a wife you are supposed to do those types of things. I look at how my mother treats my father and some of the points mentioned in the essay is what my mother does. I think I am going to keep the honor and tradition going.

Suffering

     "The Deer at Providencia" by Annie Dillard is a simple narrative of chronological events that conveys the idea of suffering and how no amount of empathy can make someone understand the personal suffering of another. The passage begins with the group in an Ecuadorian jungle stumbling upon a small deer tied to a tree. The group watches the deer suffer and struggle without commentary. Eventually the deer bores the North Americans of the group and they begin to eat lunch. In this lunch is meat: fish and deer. The group returns to viewing the deer and the men of the group notice Dillard's detached demeanor and comment on it's strangeness " If it were my wife, she couldn't bare to see a creature in agony like that" (Dillard 89).
After the occurrence in The Ecuadorian jungle Dillard returns home and reads the story of a man who was burned twice in his life.
     At first glance I felt sorrowful and hopeless for the deer and the burnt man. The suffering of the two is almost incomprehensible unless you have been in the exact situation of the two, but even then the suffering may be different from person to person. For example losing a loved one might produce more suffering for me than it would to another person based on many factors. Despite all the factors that go into determining how much someone is suffering no one can truly understand each other's suffering. Universal Suffering is also seen in Dillard's piece, as in suffering exists everywhere, even in the jungle.
   The most prominent theme is Dillard's piece is clearly suffering. Although Dillard's narrative is very event based with little explanation at all the events of the narrative provide Dillard's explanation of suffering and it's universal existence in this world. The juxtaposition of the deer in the jungle and the burnt man in Miami demonstrates that suffering is everywhere and it is very much a large part of life. Without suffering humans will never become stronger, appreciate good things, or cherish those whom treat them well. Most people would claim that any God would not allow this much suffering to exist but if there were no suffering then who would appreciate eternal salvation? The narrative and simple facade of Dillard's piece only amplifies her explanation of suffering.

-Alex Simpson

"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society" by Jonathan Kozol

          "The number of illiterate adults exceeds by 16 million the entire vote cast for the winner in the 1980 presidential contest." This is a huge statistic to open a reading with, nearly 60 million Americans are illiterate. I would consider this reading as a somewhat informative/factual peice.
           Although this reading has personal interviews, factual statistics, and great support for the topic of illiteracy, it was not my cup of tea. As you continue to read it seems as if he has some type of underlying anger or resentment or some sort of a strong feelings toward those who cannot read. "Could it be that some of us might like it better if they stayed where they belong?" By him saying "us" he is including himself in the part of society that has an obviously strong feeling towards those who are illiterate. As if they should not be a part of the same society as those who are priviledged to read.
          The author, Kozol, uses the word "illiterate" quite often in the reading, either starting a statement, pargraph, thought, or sentence, he makes is seem like a derogatory word. Talking so poorly about the less forunate who can't read and linking that to food stamps, poverty, and how they raise their childern.
          He does not offer advice on how to help those become literate. He just makes statement after statement after statement of what a person who cannot read can't do. Then goes on to say, " Do we possess the character and courage to address a problem which so many nations..have found it natural to correct","The answers to these questions represent a reasonable test of our belief in the democracy to which we have been asked in public schools to swear allegiance." He says this as if it is our governments fault for the illiteracy of some people which I no where nearly agree with.
        This reading was very informal, I had no idea that there were that many people facing these kinds of struggles. In my opinion everyone is illiterate in some way, shape or form. If you were dropped off in China, you would be illiterate in their society.