The Wife Beater - Gayle Rosenwald Smith Summary

 The Wife Beater

                                - Gayle Rosenwald Smith

Summary

The article entitled The Wife Beater was written by Gayle Rosenwald Smith and published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on July second, 2001. Within the article, the argument that the author puts forth has many of the characteristics of an argument of definition, defining the term "Wife Beater" as both a man who is physically abusive toward his wife and a popular white ribbed undergarment. The author goes on to explain that the undergarment rose to cultural significance in the 1950's in the motion picture A Streetcar Named Desire and has occupied a space in the American consciousness ever since. Wife Beaters are a hot commodity with both men and women, and have received special treatment by fashion icons such as Dolce and Gabbana to be acceptable clothing under formal and business wear in professional environments. In all regards they are an accepted and revered piece of clothing with a long history of popularity, yet why do they share a name with a hated and reprehensible section of society? This is the main question posed in the article along with the notion that having such an offensive name is lessening the value of an otherwise flattering piece of clothing.

The article goes onto examine the origin of the name Wife Beater and why it has been attributed to a type of undershirt. The most common explanation is that men who are likely to beat their wives frequently wear this type of clothing, so it was named after them. The author goes into deeper detail on the subject citing that the term may have risen from the stereotype of the lower class Midwestern male wearing this type of shirt during the act of beating his wife. Another explanation is that the term was attributed to the shirt in the 1990's by gang and gay subcultures as well as rap music. The author is clearly of the opinion that an article of clothing that garners such respect and popularity should be known by a respectable name, not one with the potential to offend a section of the population.

Question Answers

The Wife Beater

A. Comprehensive :

Q.1. Why is Smith "disturbed" (5) by the name "wife-beater?

ANSWER : Smith is disturbed because the tank top is called "wife beater" and it reminds her of victims in domestic violence situations.

Q.2. In paragraph three,Smith says, "The name is the issue"; in paragraph 11, she says "It's not just the name that worries me." What does she mean by each statement? Does she contradict herself?

ANSWER : I don't think she is contradicting herself, I believe she is just making another point about the shirt, she could of phrased it differently.

Q.3. What relationship does Smith see between the name of a sleeveless undershirt and the prevalence of family violence? Does she believe a casual connection does - or could-exist? If so, which is the cause, and which is the effect?

ANSWER : She believes it does exist, she over reacts and takes the situation of a simple t-shirt into a domestic violence situation.

Q.4. In paragraph 12, Smith acknowledges that the shirt "can make both men and women look sexier." Does this remark in any way undercut her credibility or argument? Explain.

ANSWER : She's worried about the T-shirts but then says they make people more attractive, and reminds men of wet t-shirt contests, she's contradicting herself, and creating imagery in the reader's head, that contradicts her ideas that the t-shirt is bad.

Q.5. How, according to Smith, does calling a shirt a wife-beater teach women "the wrong thing about men" ?

ANSWER : The women think the t-shirt make men more attractive, instead of the stereotypical "wife-beater" idea behind them.

B. Purpose and Audience :

Q.1. How do you think Smith expects her audience to react to her opening statement ("Everybody wears them")?

ANSWER : I think she expects the reader to be interested because they're curious what everyone wears and if they wear them too.

Q.2. Why do you think Smith wrote this essay? Does she hope to change the name of the T-shirt, or does she seem to have a more ambitious purpose? Explain.

ANSWER : I think Smith wrote this article to make people realize that the name wife-beater is not acceptable and should be changed.

Q.3. Twice in her essay, Smith mentions a group she calls "wearers under 25". Does she seem to direct her remarks at these young adults or at older readers? At wearers of the shirts or ata more general audience?

ANSWER : She directs her statements at all wearers but makes it known people under 25 dont mind as much because they're not thinking about what wife beater really means the same as someone who is older would.

Q.4. Restate Smith's thesis in your own words.

ANSWER : Wife-beater in an unacceptable name for a shirt and we should refrain from calling the tank tops wife-beaters.

C. Style and structure :

Q.1. Why do you think Smith begins her essay by explaining the popularity of sleeveless undershirts? Is this an effective opening strategy?

ANSWER : Yes, it is effective opening strategy, it shows the ready how popular these shirts are and why it's a big deal that virtually everyone knows it as a wife-beater.

Q.2. In paragraph 7, Smith reproduces a formal definition from the Oxford Dictionary. Why does she include this definition when she has already defined her term? What, if anything, does the formal definition add?

ANSWER : The formal definition adds credibility to her terms and shows that it is even officially known as a wife-beater.

Q.3. Where does Smith present information on the history of the wife-beater? Why does she include this kind of Information?

ANSWER : Stanza 8. She includes this because it explains how it got its name.