Journal Entry #5

"Why I Want a Wife"

-This essay was written in 1971. What types of duties does Syfers describe as being performed by wives? To what degree do you believe these are still done primarily by women? Have these or other things about the husband/wife relationship changed in the last 37 years?
Syfers describes home duties which are called housewives, like cleaning the house and taking care of the kids, but at the same she needs to have a job. Years ago women were supposed to stay at home and take care of this needs and not work. Now these days women are more independent. They have jobs and take care of the duties at home. Before the husband didn't give a hand to their wife because they had to be this masculinity figure but now you see them helping their wives with the kids or the cooking. It is more common now and people don't see it wrong like they used to.

- How would you describe Syfers’ writing style? Does she do things you would typically avoid in your own writing?
Her writing style is descriptive. It looks like she is complaining of all the things she needs to get done as a wife. She tries to describe every single duty.
I don't know if I would avoid something that she did in my own writing because if you took the sense of her essay. It wouldn't make sense because all that she does is describe a wife's duties.

-Syfers was reacting to a social structure that she felt at the time was unfair. What types of injustice or unfairness do you see in the world nowadays that you think should be addressed? Syfers implies that men benefit from the servile position of women in the family. Who benefits from the injustices you see active in the world today?
Women are still seen as the housewives. The ones that have to stay at home and take care of the children. Or even worst, have a job and still have to do the house duties. Men are the stereotypes that they go to work and bring the money. Their wives are the ones that have to do everything else, and they expect them to wait for them with the food ready. All this has to change. It should be equal. Both should work and take care of the house and kids. Doing the house work is a hard as having a job. There are so many things to take care of like Syfers described that at the end of the day you feel more tired than having a regularly job. Men and women are both humanly equal and they have the same needs. Why do they have to have different tasks on life? It is unfair. Just because it was socioaly implanted that way years ago it doesn't mean we can't change it to make it better.