Unit 4 Why I Want a Wife

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Unit 4 Why I Want a Wife
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Contents

• Pre-reading questions
• Background information
• Structural analysis of the text
• Comprehensive questions
• Language Points
• Sentence highlights
• Language appreciation
• Grammar points
• Comprehensive questions of Text II

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Text I Why I Want a Wife
Pre-reading questions 1. What role does a wife
usually play in a traditional Chinese family?
What role does an American wife usually play in
her family? Are there any similarities or
differences between them? 2. Is there any change
today in womens status in China and around the
world?
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Background information

• About the text and the author
• Judy Syfers, born in 1937 in San Francisco, is a
  feminist, political and environmental activist,
  and a freelance writer. Her classic satirical
  essay Why I Want a Wife was first published in
  Ms. Magazine in 1971 and was widely circulated in
  the womens movement.

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Structural analysis

• The writer uses a______ style.
• simple, straightforward
• By mentioning her encounter with a male friend of
  hers fresh from a recent divorce, she
  introduces her major proposition wives are
  taken for granted. Then she supports the argument
  with seemingly trivial things from daily life,
  which are carefully arranged so as to contribute
  to the conclusion.
• The essay ends with
• a crisp, one-sentence rhetorical question.
• Is the thesis statement stated explicitly?
• implied. The wife shoulders various
  responsibilities but is unfairly treated.

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• Paragraph 1-2
• The writer introduces her identity in the first
  paragraph and starts her bitter satire, in the
  second paragraph, on those men desiring for a
  wife who fits in with their ideal notions by
  pretending that she would like to have a wife
  with all possible virtues.

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• Paragraph 3-7
• Here Syfers divides a wife's duties and
  responsibilities into various functions or
  services according to the ideal notions most men
  are likely to have for a wife.

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• Paragraph 8-9
• The writer states a wifes status in a family.

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Rhetorical features of the text

• Similar sentence pattern I want a wife
  whorepetition
• It helps to display a sense of necessity and
  even urgency of having a wife. Here it is used to
  support the idea forcefully. (the idea that I
  want a wife). It also can be used to make a
  smooth and natural transition.

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Comprehensive questions

• Q1 How does the author account for family duties
  and household chores in a specific way? Sum them
  up and illustrate them with examples of your own.

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• Household chores are broken down into three parts
  according to the husbands needs. They are
  looking after his children, meeting his physical
  needs, and taking care of his social life. First,
  the wife is supposed to be the nurturing mother
  of his children-for instance, she has to take
  leave to nurse the sick child though she cannot
  lose her job.

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• Second, the wife must meet the husbands physical
  needs such as washing, cleaning, cooking, and she
  has to be on his beside when he is sick. Third,
  she must never overlook her duty for her
  husbands social life. All these chores are for
  the benefit of the husband.

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• Q2 What is a wife supposed to attend to in
  taking care of a child?
• According to Syfers, a wife has to take sole
  charge of child care while working. She has to
  feed the children properly and keep them clean
  she has to arrange for their schooling and take
  care of their social life

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• she has to keep close track of their medical care
  and lose time at work when needed to take care of
  the sick child though she cannot lose her job. In
  a word, she has to be a full-time mother to her
  children. As for the father, his role and duty
  can be overlooked.

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• Q3 What social duties is a wife required to
  assume according to the author?
• According to Syfers, a wifes social duties are
  all directed towards the success of the husbands
  social life. She has to make arrangements so that
  the children wont be in the way when they have a
  night out or have guests home.

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• She has to clean the house, prepare special
  meals, and attend to the needs of every guest so
  that they will feel comfortable. Apart from that,
  she has to understand and accept the fact
  sometimes her husband needs a night out by
  himself. As for the wifes own social life,
  Syfers mentions nothing, which implies the wife
  should have no social life of her own at all.

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• Q4 What does the author say, both explicitly and
  implicitly, about divorce?
• The essay implies that a man or only a man is at
  liberty to file for a divorce so as to replace
  the old wife with a new one. A man comes out of a
  divorce free and fresh while a woman has to take
  the pain and responsibility to take care of their
  children solely.

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• Q5 What makes Syfers think about the topic of
  wanting a wife?

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Language points

• incidentally
• in a way that was not planned, but as a result
  of something else.
• Quite incidentally , I got some information at
  the party.

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• ex-wife former wife
• ex- former (and still living)
• an ex-minister
• an ex-policeman

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• if need be if necessary
• We will come to your help if need be.
• If need be, I can come early tomorrow.

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• I want a wife to keep track of the childrens
  doctor and dentist appointments.
• I want a wife who can accurately remember the
  appointments with childrens doctor and dentist
  and contact them on time.
• Keep track of to have accurate and up-to-date
  information about something all the time.
• e.g. How do you manage to keep track of the
  latest economic development?

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• rambling (of a speech, writing) disordered and
  wandering
• I've just had this rambling, incoherent letter
  from my sister.

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• hors d'oeuvres savory food served in small
  amounts at the beginning of a meal
• replenish to fill up again
• Food stocks should be replenished every morning
  before opening.

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• clutter up to make untidy or confused,
  especially by filling with useless or unwanted
  things
• This room is so impressive that it would be a
  shame to clutter it up.

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• entail to make (an event or action) necessary
  to involve
• The changed outlook entails higher economic
  growth than was previously assumed.
• Repairing the roof will entail spending a lot of
  money.

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• adherence to acting in accordance (with
  something) following (something)
• He was known for his strict adherence to the
  rules.
• The villagers adherence to their religious
  beliefs impressed all the visitors.

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• monogamy the custom or practice of having only
  one wife or husband at one time
• Mono- (pref) one, single
• monologue/ monolingual

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• Paragraphs 8-9
• replacewith to change one for another, often
  better, newer, etc.
• Weve replaced those typewriters with computers.
• Tourism has replaced agriculture as the nations
  main industry.

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Sentence highlights

• 1. Not too long ago a male friend of mine
  appeared on the scene fresh from a recent
  divorce. (para.2)

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• 2. A wife who will pick up after my children, a
  wife who will pick up after me. (Para. 4)
• 3. And I want a wife who understands that my
  sexual needs may entail more than strict
  adherence to monogamy. (Para. 7)

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Language Appreciation

• 1.I want a wife who will take care of my physical
  needs. I want a wife who will keep my house
  clean.(Para.4)

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• 2.I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean,
  ironed, mended, replaced when need be I want a
  wife who will plan the menus, do the while I do
  my studying. (Para. 4)

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• 3.I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my
  guests so that they fell comfortable, who makes
  sure that they have an ashtray, that they are
  offered a second helping of the food, that their
  wine glasses are replenished when necessary, that
  their coffee is served to them as they like
  it.(Para.6)

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Grammar points

• Adverbial of Purpose
• There are several ways you can use to express
  your purpose in a sentence.
• The most common way is to use a to-infinitive
  adverbial.
• There are a number of other ways of expressing
  purposes in English. Some of the most common ones
  are with a view to, with the intention of, with
  the object/aim of and for the purpose of. When
  you use them, make sure tha the verb is in the
  ing form.

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Comprehensive questions of Text II

• 1. According to Bacon, who is more likely to make
  great contributions to the public, a married man
  or a single man?
• According to Bacon, a man who has wife and
  children is at the mercy of his fortune. Burdened
  by his family, he is less likely to devote
  himself to great enterprises, therefore, less
  likely to score great achievements. As a single
  man, however, can dedicate his whole life to the
  course of serving the public, he is nmore likely
  to achieve the greatest fame and do the best work.

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• 2. What is the most important reason for choosing
  a single life?
• The biggest attraction of single life, according
  to Bacon, is liberty. A man who is sensitive to
  restriction should choose to be single as
  marriage is, at best, a certain type of
  restriction. Of course, single life has other
  merits such as dedication to ones work, no
  family burden, and more charity, but it is
  liberty that induces many men to remain single
  throughout their lives.

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• 3. According to Bacon, what kind of man can make
  good husband?
• According to Bacon, men with grave natures, led
  by social customs, can make faithful and loving
  husbands such as Ulysses.

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• 4. What role does a wife play at different stages
  of a mans life?
• Wives, according to Bacon, are young mens
  mistresses companions for middle age and old
  mens nurses. A mans wife plays different roles
  at different stages of his life.

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• 5. According to Bacon, what kind of men usually
  have good wives? Do you agree to his opionion?
• According to Bacon, bad husbands usually have
  good wives either because their goodness seems
  more precious compared with their badness or
  because the wives take pride in their patience.
  Once a good woman marries a bad man of her own
  choice, she will make every effort to make a
  better man of him.

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• 6. Based on your reading and personal views,
  decide whether you would like to be married or
  single in your life.