Definition -- In-Class Response (Group Essay: in-class reading "I Want a Wife")

[Mr. Kitsmiller]

1.  Personal Response -- What is your initial reaction to this essay?  Was it what you expected?  How successful was the author with her argument?

2.  Structural Response -- Based on the class lecture and/or chapter reading for Definition, how does "I Want a Wife" exemplify this style of writing?  Consider some of the following points from your notes or the chapter: 

• What type of definition is it?
• What styles does she use for her definition essay (Narration, Description, Compare/Contrast, Exemplification)
• What other strategies does she employ?

Response to both of these points accurately and completely in your reply.

[The Dark Lord SATAN!!! (christian haley)]

1. I believe that this essay is complete BS because the woman who wrote this thinks that every man has the same crappy expectations. Quite honestly, im usually the last to call out sexism but isnt this essay slightly sexist towards men? I was not to fond of this essay although it was well written

2a. extended

2b. descriprion and exemplification

2c. She uses manipulation to make the reader believe that is all someone looks for while attempting to find a woman

[Noor Bibi]

1. First, I didn't understand that from whose perspective was this essay written. I didn't expect that because the writer of the essay is asking too much from a wife. I understand that its the wife's duty to take care of everything of her husband and kids. But still it's too much. Don't consider your wife as a servant, she is a human like you and put yourselves in the wife's shoes and think "If you are asking too much?"

2. It is extended definition. The writer used description and exemplification. She used enumeration, many, many examples.

[Lane Lightle]

my initial reaction to the passage was why is a women talking about having a wife. i was not exspecting this in the essay i feel the auther was kinda takeing a cheap shot at guys in the sense that she was acting like that is automatically exspected when guys get married. I think she was proving her point if her point was if that was what women gave in the relationship then it be great to have a wife so in a sense yes she proved her point.

[Briana Everhart]

1) I do not completely agree with this author because if I was a wife I would not want to be doing all of this. I personally think that marriage and parenthood is a two way street. All of the things the author was state in this essay I believe is for the husband and the wife. They both should be working, cooking and taking care of the house and kids.

2) The author uses Extended Definition in this essay. The sytle of writing that she uses Description because she is telling what kinda of wife someone would want. Another strategy that she uses is enumeration because she gives many details on exactly what someone would want.

[Evan Kraus]

I think that this is an accurate essay because not everyone notices it, but wives do most of the things described in the essay. I did not expect her to talk about all of the topics she did. In my opinion she was really successful with her argument because it was accurate and detailed. This is an extended definition because of all the detail put into it. She uses description in the essay because she described everything a wife does in her opinion. Another strategy she uses in the essay is that she points out small details that wives do that most people don't even notice. 

[rogers.bryce]

I agree with Christian, it seems pretty sexist towards guys. If you think all guys have these expectations, you're hanging around the wrong type of people. The writing style was pretty well put together though

- It uses extended definition

- It uses compare/contrast, and exemplification

- Not sure what it's called, but she kept repeating one phrase over and over again

[Connar Benson]

At first I was like okay that would actually be cool to have someone who would do all that stuff for me, but then after thinking about how i was raised i think there needs to be an even split between the work load when dealing will house keeping and taking care of the kids, i think asking one person to do all that is way to much. However i think the author did a good job of making her point because if you think about it, it would be pretty fricking awesome if your wife did all that, but at the same time you have to realize that just isn't possible. This is most definitely extended definition, it goes way beyond "a female partner is marriage." I think he uses a mix of narration because she tell how the thoughts came about and exemplification because the whole essay is jam packed with description and examples. The author uses a lot of analogies as well as some synonyms.    

[Elijah Cummings]

My reaction threw some parts are "That would be nice". Then as we reed threw it more i thought, "This is a lot of work for the wife to do". I expected all of that, just not all the time. I think the wife and the husband should switch roles every now and then. Like the dad should cook for a week every month or something. She was 95% successful. If you ask most men they would love all this in a wife. Other men would like to have all of the personality in there selves. This is an example of Extended definition. She uses description and narration. Real life concepts. She uses herself because she did all of that before. 

[Madison Smith]

My reaction is that the wife sounds perfect, which is unrealistic and DEFINITELY for the time.  It is what I expected because its typical.  The argument was successful because she was describing the ideal wife not the wife she is.  The article exemplifies the style of writing in class by using analogies, enumeration, idea origin, and description.   

[Flood Davis]

I think that would be wonderful if she did all that. but at the same time i feel that the wife should not be doing all that work and she  should not be expected to do all that work the man should take hafe of that repostabilty out of respect of his wife so she dont feel like she has to do everything around the house or out the house and before they know it everything they had to do is done because they worked as a team. i just think if you really respect your wife and you see her working hard trying to help everyone around the house you should try to take some of the stress off of her back so she dont feel like she is doing to much. 

[Lane Lightle]

I feel it matches the description because the auther gose into detail in what she wants from a wife and she uses exsimplification to describe exzactly what she wants from a wife if she was to have one and the more details fly out of her essay and it shows what some women are exspected to produce in a relationship. she empolys that women are held to high standards and thats why she would like a wife if every women meet those standards.

 

[Folasade Aiyeru]

1. My first reaction was confusion. I felt like she was asking for more of a personal assistant than a wife. After the class discussion I realized that the story was the reality of woman back then. If that was the average woman, who wouldn't want that? Her argument set it up so that everyone would crave for it.

2. Extended definition. She uses description and exemplification. She approached the essay by bringing up things people desire.

[Fowsia Mohamed]

1. This essay shocked me so much,. I found it to be completely and utterly sexist. What was her argument? I didn't even understand. 

2.  It's extended definition. She uses description and exemplification.

[Breanna Newton]

i think that women arent what she is making it seem , because some females think differently then otheres do . Most of the women arent like that , she is making women seem like we are very demandig

[Jenicka Roche]

1. I think it was a good writing but kinda rude about woman. No I expected a man to write about wanting a wife. I don't think her argument was that successful because she was basically talking about what a wife is "supposed to do" She explains everything from cooking and cleaning to bringing home the money, and being the responsible one. She talks like the wife is the servant. 

2. It gives the definition of a wife or what a wife is non to do.  She uses Narration, exemplification, description. That if you want a servant get a wife like the woman in the paper explains. 

[Keenan Charles]

i thought the essay was quite accurate for the time period it was written in. it seemed a bit sexist due to the fact that most of the atributes of the wife were stereotypical "great society" type attributes, but it got the point across the a wife is expected and burdened to do a vast list of things daily

[John Butler]

1.My reaction is that the wife was doing to much for one person. 

2a. this was a extended response 

2b. she used the style of description

2c. She was repeating her self in the story 

[Nathan Konik]

it describes the how this lady thinks a wife should act.

she used description by decribeing the actions of a typical house wife in the 1970's

she employs that women should stay home while the man goes to work and she also says that the woman should take care of the kids

[Davin Damante]

1)No it is not realistic because its to mutch things for one person to do,This person is crazy.And to take responsibility and do stuff her self.

2) she used extended definition,description and narroration

[Keenan Charles]

PS ITS EXTENDED LIKE MY CLIP BANGBANG

[Israel Dorsey]

Personal Response: I think this story makes women sound like slaves to men, because it made it seem like all women do is wait on a mens every need. I wasn't expecting the narrator to be a women and I think the arguement was very succecful because it showed how women are viewed.

 

Structural Response: This story is an extended definition and uses description.

[Savanna McClure]

1. I feel like this essay is what people would think of as a "perfect wife", so I agree with it

2. It is extended definition.

3. She uses narration, exemplification, and a little bit compare/contrast.

4. She kept repeating herself.

[Daniel Ely]

This essay had little impact on me, for the author stated a lot of generalizations about men and their relationships with their wives that are not only not accurate across the board but some statements were completely bogus. Only someone in a abusive and crappy marriage would deal with the sort of oppression described, an by definition that's not how a marriage is supposed to be. I had no expectations for this essay, other than it would provide a good example of an extended definition. If this is a good example of an extended definition, then I guess that must mean an extended definition does not need to be accurate, just descriptive and assertive in writing style.

Two answer the second half of questions I will start by saying it is an tended-type definition. The Author uses description and exemplification and uses sarcasm and dry humor to further push her point of view.