THE WIFE BEATER by Gayle Rosenwald Smith

         The Wife Beater

 - Gayle Rosenwald Smith 

The Wife-Beater is a slang term for a type of sleeveless undershirt that is the recent years, has become fashionable. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term wife-beaters as: A man who physically abuses his wife and Tank- style underwear shirts. 

Origin: Based on the stereotype that physically abusive husbands wear that particular type of shirt The World Book Dictionary locates the origin of the term to the 1970s, from the stereotype of the Midwestern male wearing an undershirt while beating his wife. 

Summary

 In this essay, the writer talks about how odd the term “Wife-Beater” is when it refers to an undershirt. It also talks about how everyone uses the undershirt and even top fashion designers have turned such a simple piece of clothing into a must-have piece that can be adorned with jewels yet they fail to realize the undershirt has a really bad-sounding and stereotypical name. Here, the writer makes it a point to express how much the name of this article of clothing is unethical and detestable. For example, she not only gives a dictionary definition of the term “wife-beater”, she also gives statistical evidence of actual domestic violence cases. She expresses her objection for the term used for the under shirt. She thinks that the name for the shirt is odd and the ugly stereotype behind the name is obvious and toxic. Especially for those who have gone through domestic abuse. As the writer says, "More than four million women are victims of severe assaults by boyfriends and husbands each year. By conservative estimate, family violence occurs in two million families each year in the United States." The main problem is that it appears to be cool to say the name wife-beater without fear of or without caring about hurting anyone who's probably been abused by their spouse. Another problem associated with the term is that is fueled by stereotype that physically abusive husbands wear that particular type of shirt. The third issue is that this term teaches the wrong thing about men since many women stated the undershirt made guys look “manly.” Such statement leads people or Smith herself to question if manly equals violent.

A. Comprehensive

1. Why is Smith "disturbed" (5) by the name "wife-beater"?
Ans : Smith is disturbed because the tank top is called "wife beater" and it reminds her of victims in domestic violence situations.
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?
Ans : 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.
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?
Ans : She believes it does exist, she over reacts and takes the situation of a simple t-shirt into a domestic violence situation.
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.
Ans : 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.
5. How, according to Smith, does calling a shirt a wife-beater teach women "the wrong thing about men" ?
Ans : The women think the t-shirt make men more attractive, instead of the stereotypical "wife-beater" idea behind them.

B. Purpose and Audience

1. How do you think Smith expects her audience to react to her opening statement ("Everybody wears them")?
Ans : I think she expects the reader to be interested because they're curious what everyone wears and if they wear them too.
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.
Ans : I think Smith wrote this article to make people realize that the name wife-beater is not acceptable and should be changed.
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 at a more general audience?
Ans : She directs her statements at all wearers but makes it known people under 25 don't mind as much because they're not thinking about what wife beater really means the same as someone who is older would.
4. Restate Smith's thesis in your own words.
Ans : Wife-beater in an unacceptable name for a shirt and we should refrain from calling the tank tops wife-beaters.

C. Style and Structure

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

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

3. Where does Smith present information on the history of the wife-beater? Why does she include this kind of Information?
Ans : Stanza 8. She includes this because it explains how it got its name.