Essay: Comparing Perspectives on Marriage in Two Texts

This essay undertakes a comparative analysis of two texts: "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady Syfers and "The Case for Marriage" by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, both of which offer contrasting perspectives on the institution of marriage. Syfers' short story employs sarcasm to critique traditional marital roles and the unequal distribution of responsibilities, highlighting the sacrifices women often make. In contrast, Waite and Gallagher's work presents a more optimistic view, emphasizing the benefits of marriage such as increased happiness, wealth accumulation, and improved health. The essay explores the social contexts and the impact of these differing views on the future of marriage, concluding that both texts contribute crucial insights into the dynamics of marital relationships and the importance of mutual understanding between spouses. The analysis includes references to the authors' research and the social implications of their arguments.

Running head: ENGLISH
English
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH
The purpose of the essay is to discuss on drawing the comparisons between the short
story I want a Wife by Judy Brady Syfers and The Case of Marriage by Linda J Waite and
Maggie Gallagher. Both the texts are very important documents about the social boding or
custom named marriage. The authors of these texts have gone through some research in
sociology and found out the importance of marriage and its utility in the future.
The Case for Marriage is one of the most important documents of literature in which the
national debates about the future of the family have been discussed (Waite & Gallagher, 2001).
The research works had been done by the sociologist Linda Waite and the journalist Maggie
Gallagher. This is one of the most exciting articles on the future of the married life and its
implications. It must be found out that the Americans of the contemporary times believe mostly
in the anti marriage myths.
This article is completely contradictory to that belief of the Americans. On the other
hand, this article has brought out the findings that conjugal married relationships provide much
satisfaction to life and it helps the couples to accumulate much wealth, fulfils their goals of life,
they can have better health and have better sexual relationships in their futures. This article has
also revealed the fact that it would help the couples to present happy lives to their children and
encourage them to be successful (Waite & Gallagher, 2001). Common American beliefs opine
that women must not go for marriage since it is not at all good for the betterment of lives. Rather
they shoul get divorced if they feel their children are not happy with this.
On the other hand, I want a Wife is another portrayal of the contemporary society. This
short story by Judy Syfers is full of sarcasm on the contemporary society and its practices
(Brady, 1972). Some people have opined that marriage is the private choice of the people. In this

2ENGLISH
short story, Judy Syfers said that she was herself a wife and she needed a wife also. She wanted
to pull out the sarcastic image of the society as she wanted to get rid of all the problems from
daily life. Her motive was to stress on the fact that her husband relied on her too much and went
outside by leaving everything to her (Brady, 1972). She wanted to become financially
independent and live her life to the fullest contentment. Amidst these issues, it can be conveyed
fully that both these texts have brought out two completely different factors in the afterlife of
marriage.
The social contexts might be different but the overall happiness of life should always be
the most crucial thing. The narrator of the short story exclaimed that she wanted a wife because
she wanted somebody to take her to the school so she could live her life once again properly. In
the short story, the author highlighted the issue that the wives had to sacrifice their careers and
their aspirations so they could live happily in their future (Brady, 1972). She has listed down all
the formal responsibilities of the lives like entertaining the guests; take care of the house and
children and so on. The critics are of the opinion that the purpose of the life of women should not
be confined within these things at all (Strand, 2019). Rather she should have been given the
independence to complete her studies and pursue her dreams.
Therefore, this short story has abruptly brought in front all the issues in the lives of
common women who have no independence. This might result in the depression among women
and their divorce in the following times (Waite & Gallagher, 2001). This is why the article The
Case of Marriage has very crucially brought out all the major things in the society that exists in
the recent times (Brook, 2016). The need for a perfect marriage is extremely crucial since the
aftermaths of this marriage will have to be carried through by the husband and wife only. Both
the texts are very critical in their meaning and they have reflected on the modern social practices.

3ENGLISH
In the final section of the essay, it can be concluded by saying that both the texts have
highlighted important matters that are closely related to the importance of proper understanding
between the two persons. The short story by Judy Syfers is important to highlight the sarcasms
on the treatments that husbands show towards their wives. On the other hand, the other article
has focused on the possibility of a happy marriage and better future for people.

4ENGLISH
References and Bibliography
Brady, J. (1972). Why I want a wife. Literature for composition.
Brook, H. (2016). Conjugality: Marriage and Marriage-like Relationships Before the Law.
Springer.
Fox, B. (2015). Feminism on family sociology: Interpreting trends in family life. Canadian
Review of Sociology, 52(2), 204.
King, Y. (2015). Feminism and the Revolt of Nature. Thinking About the Environment: Readings
on Politics, Property and the Physical World: Readings on Politics, Property and the
Physical World, 179.
Strand, K. J. (2019). From Classic to Current: Inspiring Essays on Feminism. Resources for
Gender and Women's Studies, 40(4), 20-20.
Waite, L. J., & Gallagher, M. (2001). The case for marriage: Why married people are happier,
healthier, and better off financially. Random House Digital, Inc..