"Why I Want a Wife" was written by June Brady in 1971 in the USA. It is significant that this article was written by a WOMAN because if it had been written by a man, then the tone would not be ironic at all. If a man had written it, we wouldn't be laughing. In fact, the women would be saying "what a jerk" and "I never want to get married if this is what's expected!" However, this piece is clearly ironic. We know that from the way she repeats "I want a wife who..." basically does EVERYTHING. (On a side note, if any of you have studied Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," you know that when Marc Antony says that "Brutus is an honorable man," he means exactly the opposite. He repeats the word "honorable" but he he is being ironic.)
Ms. Brady does not literally want a wife, but she's sarcastically saying that with all of the responsibilities and functions a wife performs, who wouldn't want one? Her audience is WOMEN because this article was published in a WOMEN's magazine. So her purpose is not to change men, because men aren't the target audience, but to make fun and joke with women about the expectations that women feel they must fulfill.
Is Ms. Brady anti-marriage? Is she persuading women to leave their husbands and fight the injustice? No, that would be a very radical position. That's not what she's advocating. However, she thinks the expectations set for women are unrealistic and also unfair. She clearly believes that there is a DOUBLE STANDARD--that men seem to have much more freedom than women.
Brady chooses irony and humor to express her point of view. However, you can imagine a woman who wants to express these same feelings in an angry and rebellious way. It would sound something like "it's unfair that..." "I am angry that..." "it's not right that..." but would the message be as effective? It would just sound like someone complaining.
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