Today many wives always want to have same position with their husband. So that they always have conflict with each other. Why they always have conflict? Actually, it is effected by wife who changes the traditional role.
As I remembered that wife and husband lived together very well i sixteenth century. They didn’t have any conflict. Many wives would obey their husband when their husband order them to do everything. What different image of the wife between sixteenth centuries and today? We can divide three different images to explain in the Shakespeare’s play ” The Taming of the shrew” and two articles for Japanese women no longer resigned to traditional roles” and ” Men, women more confused about roles”.
The first different image is that many wives liked to live with their husband together in sixteenth centuries. In “The Taming of the shrew”, Katherine needed to live in the Petruchio’s house. When she pointed out the mistake to he husband, her husband would call her who came back to their home. We can see that the respect of Katherine ” Forward, I pray, since we have come so far, and be
it moon, or sun, or what you please.” 1 In fact, she needed her husband to support her life. If Petruchio didn’t support her life, then she couldn’t live only herself. Oppositely, many wives have their new style of life today. They don’t need their husband to support their life. They can take care themselves. In article “Men, women more confused about roles” , Lillian is an example, ” When her marriage ended, she returned to work but would prefer to return full time to mothering.” 2 , who doesn’t need her husband to support her life.
The second different image is that many husbands married their wife just for love in the sixteenth centuries. In ” The Taming of the shrew” Lucentio loved Bianca very much, so that he disguised as a teacher who taught her Latin everyday. He wanted to express his love to Bianca. However, many husbands marry their wife not only for love today. Actually, they marry their wife who have another purpose. Miss Enomoto explains her feeling in the article ” Japanese women no longer resigned to traditional roles”. She recognizes that ” They think that just because I can cook, I can make a very good wife or a very good mother. But a mother is someone who raises children, not a cook. A wife is a partner, not a cook.” 3
The third different image is that the role of the wife is changed. In sixteenth centuries, the role of the wife was that ” And craves no other tribute at thy hands. But love, fair looks, and true obedience -” 4 . So that many wives obeyed their husband. However, according to the article ” Men, women more confused about roles” . Lillian explains the new role of the wife on today. It is that ” Interesting that what for centuries has been acceptable conduct for women is unacceptable for men. Interesting, too, that men- who once felt threatened by women’s invasion of the workplace- wouldn’t consider having them stay at home” 5 . Today many wives have their own careers, then they will not stay at home with their husband.
By comparison among three different images, we can know that many wives will not care their husband on today, they only care how much money they own. It makes that the traditional role of the wife is broken down. But how about the role of the wife in the future?
