"THE EDUCATION OF A WIFE."   Term Paper ID:26949 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines section of Xenephon's "Oeconomicus" from 4th Cent. B.C. & its depiction of Greek economy, society & household management.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines section of Xenephon's "Oeconomicus" from 4th Cent. B.C. & its depiction of Greek economy, society & household management. Paper Introduction: In the document "The Education of a Wife," the economy is analyzed, and by economy is meant the successful management of a household in all of its aspects. This document therefore says much about daily life in the fourth century BC. The text is from the Oeconomicus of Xenephon and makes use of the Socratic dialogue, as did Plato. The Socratic dialogue as depicted hee always suggests a streetcorner discussion between the philosopher and a group of followers, creating an image of Athens and so of a settled social order. Part of that social order is the domestic household. Running the household is the purview of the wife, and the male, Ischomachus, here says he does not have to stay home because his wife is perfectly capable of taking care of the home. She is Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The division of labor is discussed next as Ischomachus begins toexplain to his wife how their roles differ. Women have indoor duties, and Ischomachus wants to teach his wife whatthose duties are and to see that she learns to do them as well as possible. A description of what marriage should be is implied by whatIschomachus says to his wife. Some of the occupations intended for women include receiving thethings brought into the home, apportioning goods for daily use, seeing toit that clothing is made, preparing food, and so on. The household referred to by Ischomachus means more than the homeitself--it also means the husband, wife, children, and slaves as well asthe property itself. Indeed, it is wrong for a man to remain indoors and run the household, sothe woman helps by seeing to it that these tasks are done and that the mandoes not have to worry about them. In part, thedifference is a matter of language, for the Greeks meant somethingdifferent by "household" than we do today. What Ischomachus tells his wife is also a way to identify the goodlife and how to live a good life. Ischomachus says that women are made for theindoors and men for the outdoors, so women are to run the household and menare to work outside the home. The wife has therefore been selected because Ischomachus believes shecan run the household and be the best wife to him as a result. He is telling his wife that she mustlearn how to do certain things in order to help him, and she willingly askswhat she must learn and how she can help. This society is one with a clear division of labor for men and women. This particular dialogue addresses the responsibilities of women andlargely ignores those of men, though it is implied that they also havespecific responsibilities and must fulfill them just as women must fulfilltheirs. The wife is raised by her parents and isthen entrusted to the care of the husband by them. Nagle also notes that while men might make therules in the polis, it was the women who saw to it that they were enforced. Running thehousehold is the purview of the wife, and the male, Ischomachus, here sayshe does not have to stay home because his wife is perfectly capable oftaking care of the home. The responsibility to which Ischomachus refers isgreater than cooking and cleaning, which is what we would mean by theseterms today. There is no conflict hereon these issues. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. These issues are not raised directly by Ischomachus, but his wifewould be expected to learn them and to become part of the social mechanismfor applying and enforcing the rules just the same. Brendan. In the document "The Education of a Wife," the economy is analyzed,and by economy is meant the successful management of a household in all ofits aspects. Ischomachus says that the most important things a woman shouldlearn, "the soundest education," would be the control of appetite and self-indulgence. Clearly, the society that is illustrated in this dialogue is one thatruns counter to our own in many ways and that emphasizes the differencesbetween men and women rather than seeing any equality. She is capable because she was trained to be so,and this is emphasized as Socrates asks if Ischomachus trained his wife.Ischomachus says he had to do so, for when she came to him, she was onlyfifteen. One of the reasons for this is that God hasmade women so that they have and nurture the children, and this also mensshe has a larger share of affection for children than does the man. The wife is clearly submissivein this society and is expected to take the job of running the household,while the male has a different job. While youth and beauty may fade, her value to the home will neverfade. Marriage is arranged bythe parents, and their purpose in doing so is to find the best partner forthe wife, someone who can care for her and protect her. Ischomachus says that what sheis to do should not be seen as unimportant, though it is implied that somemight see them as unimportant because what he does is regarded as moreimportant. Socrates is not questioning theprocess but only asking that it be explained to him. What Ischomachus tells his wife is the norm for his society. This is the roleof parents, and Ischomachus says that if he and his wife have children,they will also consult together on how to raise those children and on howto see to it that they find mates best suited to them. Yet, the passagedoes not state that men and women are unequal, either, or that men arebetter than women in some manner. The Socratic dialogue as depicted hee always suggests a streetcornerdiscussion between the philosopher and a group of followers, creating animage of Athens and so of a settled social order. What it does say is that men and womenare different as a matter of nature, that their social roles have becomeset because of the physical reality and not out of any wilfulness, and thatharmony is achieved in society when men and women fulfill their roles anddo not try to change places. These are tasks thatIschomachus believes may seem onerous, while there are other occupations hesays his wife will find agreeable, such as training other women for thesame role. Ischomachusmakes this process sound like one that is a mystery to his wife but that heas a man understands quite well. Part of that social order is the domestic household. The husband is generally older and must teach the wife what she needs toknow in order to run the household, or she must learn what she can on thejob. It isthe way men and women view their roles, view their marriages, view theirsocial responsibilities, and live their lives. The wife is eager to learn, the husband happy to teach,and society satisfied with the results. The Ancient World. As Nagle notes, the role of the wife is not relegated simplyto the household itself, either, for the power base of the woman includesher membership in a powerful group of women, the matrons of the polis,"invested by the community with the moral authority and duty of upholdingits standards" (Nagle 1 5). Work CitedNagle, D. The law has been shaped to fit what nature has already created, sothe law also has contributed to the way labor is divided between the sexes. The household is described by Ischomachus as if it were areflection of the universe at large because the gods have created thissystem--this "twin-system which goes by the name of male and female"--tooperate in a certain way in the world and in the household. Godhas also made woman more timid than man. This document therefore says much about daily life in thefourth century BC. At the same time, Atheniansociety was somewhat rigid in terms of social roles for men and women, somen as well were locked into certain social, occupational, and moralpatterns. The text is from the Oeconomicus of Xenephon and makesuse of the Socratic dialogue, as did Plato. The bodies men and women have been given by the gods fit with theroles each has in society. The role of the womanis therefore not as insulated as it might seem when Ischomachus says womenshould remain indoors and deal with household matters alone. The roles formen and women are therefore set by the gods, so human beings should followwhat nature has created. He says that the beautiful and the goodin life are not achieved "through excellence of outward form" but instead"by reason of the lustre of virtues shed forth upon the life of man" (21).Ischomachus also says that the ability of his wife to fulfill her dutiesmakes her more valuable to him and to the whole family and will thorughtime. All of these things fit with thewoman running the household. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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