The Wife Beater: Gayle Rosenwald Smith BBS 1st Year Patterns for College Writing

 

Definition Essay 2: The Wife-Beater by Gayle Rosenwald Smith

About the Essayist

 

Gayle Rosenwald Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She's currently a lawyer practising in family law. She's a part of the American Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association. She mostly published articles for newspapers like Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer etc.

Main Theme of Essay

The main theme of Gayle Rosenwald Smith’s essay The Wife-Beater is the normalization of domestic violence through language and culture. Smith critiques the casual use of the term "wife-beater" to describe a sleeveless undershirt, arguing that it trivializes abuse and desensitizes society to the seriousness of domestic violence. By highlighting how language reflects and reinforces cultural attitudes, she urges readers to recognize the impact of their words and the importance of respectful, conscious communication. The essay ultimately challenges readers to question societal norms that make light of serious issues and to advocate for greater awareness and sensitivity around domestic abuse.

 

Click for Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avXOTa8vHSc

Summary of the Essay

She states that only men who wear these undershirts beat their wives and that this undershirt equates to violence. The essay has a very important message that was spoken out to all kinds of people, which is the undershirt known as the “wife beater” is not meant to be abusive to women or even men when women wear them, it is just supposed to be a shirt.  Gayle explains how everyone uses them nowadays. Even professionals wear them. She thinks that the name for the sleeveless undershirt is odd and the ugly stereotype behind the name is obvious and toxic, especially for those who have gone through domestic abuse.

Smith shows the modern-day fashion sense and relates it to the issue of domestic violence. She is astonished at a business strategy that promotes domestic abuse. She claims wearers under 25 do not get disturbed by the logo "The Wife- Beater" but she is surely very much disturbed seeing people flaunting style that promotes domestic violence. The T-shirt carries a conventional harmful message. That's why she is disturbed. She seems to be worried about its influence over normal youngsters. Her concern is justified throughout her writing as she keeps making sense of the meaning of wife-beater and statistics of women's violence.

The term is being used so lightly. Her major concern is to inform the wearer below the age of 25 about the impact of the term and activities like wife-beater. The name alone is not the issue for Smith but the name worries her a lot which she has mentioned explicitly in paragraphs 3 and 11 because it represents the male dominance where physical abuse is acceptable as a means of control. It is indeed a fatal concept transmitted to the young generation in the form of a fashion statement. Despite contradictory statements, she makes sense.

The name of a sleeveless undershirt and the prevalence of family violence are interconnected. The popularity of such fashion statements depicts the abusive nature of the male. The prevalence of domestic violence is the cause and the name of the shirt is the effect. Smith remarks the shirt can make both men and women look sexier. Despite this statement, her argument is not weak. This remark doesn't undercut her credibility. The statement is a pleasant switch from the serious tone. According to Smith, a shirt with a logo wife-beater teaches women the wrong thing about men. The line remarks on men as manly people equal to violence. The women felt guys look great in the shirt and associate it with their manly personalities. She likely expects her audience to be attracted, wondering what Smith will be talking about in the rest of her essay.

Smith's main purpose in this essay is to discuss the problematic nature of the name "wife-beater" and to push for a different name. She also intends to convince the reader to examine the link society has established between masculinity and dominance/violence and to challenge that association.      

Comprehension

1.     Why is Smith “disturbed” by the name “wife beater”? Do you think her concern is justified?

In fact, “wife-beater” is a kind of fashionable undershirt for men and the same clothes for girls are called “boy beaters”. The writer finds it disturbing to call this cloth a “wife-beater” for the following reasons:

a.      The word “wife-beater” for male undershirt is a slang word.

b.     According to the dictionary definition “wife-beater” is- a man who physically abuses his wife.

c.      Wearers under 25 do not seem to understand the meaning of “wife-beater”.

d.     More than 4 million women are the victim of domestic violence each year, domestic violence occurs in 2 million families each year in the US and the average age of the men who do violence is 31. If we use the word ‘wife-beater’ in these fashionable clothes, then people especially boys under 25, begin to think that domestic violence is a joke.

e.      Some women even believe that the men in the wife-beater look ‘manly’. The writer questions ‘Is manly equals violent?’

f.       This word hurts the sentiments of those people who are victims of domestic violence.

g.     Some dictionaries like The World Book Dictionary locate the origin of the term “wife-beater” in the 1970s, from the stereotype of the Midwestern male wearing an undershirt while beating his wife.

So for all these reasons mentioned above, her concern is justifiable.

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?

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

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

The writer says “The name is the issue…”, “It is not just the name that worries me…”, “I am disturbed by the name…” etc. in the essay. The question is why she is so disturbed by the name, why she sees a problem in the name “wife-beater” for the sleeveless undershirt of men. First of all ‘wife-beater’ is defined as A man who physically abuses his wife- by the Oxford Dictionary. More than 4 million women are the victim of domestic violence each year, domestic violence occurs in 2 million families each year in the US and the average age of the men who do violence is 31. If we use the word ‘wife-beater’ in these fashionable clothes, then people especially the boys begin to think that domestic violence is a joke. Some women even believe that the men in the wife-beater look ‘manly’. The writer questions ‘Is manly equal to violent?’ This word hurts the sentiments of those people who are victims of domestic violence. Some dictionaries like The World Book Dictionary locate the origin of the term “wife-beater” in the 1970s, from the stereotype of the Midwestern male wearing an undershirt while beating his wife.

All the above examples show that there is some connection between the name “wife-beater” and family violence. The word “wife-beater” might harm actual victims.

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.

She's worried about the T-shirts but then says they make people more attractive, and remind 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 things about men”?

Some women believe that it (wife-beater) made guys look “manly”. That’s why the writer questions “So manly equals violent?” Next, some of the women also say that the boy especially having a great body looked great in the wife-beater. So the writer says that the word “wife-beater” is equal to a violent man, a man with a violent mentality, the one who abuses his wife etc.

6.     Do you agree with Smith that the casual use of terms like “wife-beater” is dangerous, or do you think she is exaggerating the problem?

I agree with the writer that the casual use of terms like “wife-beater” is dangerous. First of all, the word “wife-beater” itself is very derogatory or insulting. Next, the origin of the word “wife-beater” is also connected with violence. Some dictionaries like The World Book Dictionary locate the origin of the term “wife-beater” in the 1970s, from the stereotype of the Midwestern male wearing an undershirt while beating his wife.

As this is a fashionable undershirt, everyone wears them. When everyone begins to call it “wife-beater” then physical violence upon women and girls will be taken for granted. People begin to think that violence against girls and women is a joke. The most important thing is that the frequent use of the word “wife-beater” validates violence against women and girls. So the writer finds it dangerous to use the term.  

Key Points to Remember

A.   The writer in this essay tells us why the term “wife-beater” should not be used for the sleeveless undershirt of men.

B.    The Oxford Dictionary defines the term wife-beater as 1) A man who physically abuses his wife and 2) a Tank-style underwear shirt: based on the stereotypes that physically abusive husbands wear that particular type of shirt.

C.    The World Book Dictionary locates the origin of the term wife-beater in the 1970s from the Midwestern male wearing an undershirt while beating his wife.

D.   The writer, by taking references from dictionaries, tries to say that the word “wife-beater” is not good to use as it means violence toward women. The writer suggests us not to use the word “wife-beater” for the following reasons:

a.      This word hurt the sentiments of those people who are victims of domestic violence.

b.     Second, millions of girls and women become victims of domestic violence around the world daily and this word hurts them.

c.      Third, if we use the word ‘wife-beater’ in these fashionable clothes, then people especially boys begin to think that domestic violence is a joke.

d.     Fourth, some women even believe that the men in the wife-beater look ‘manly’. The writer questions ‘Is manly equal to violent?’ 

Purpose and Audience

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

I think she expects the reader to be interested because they're curious about 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.

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 older readers? At wearers of the shirts or a more general audience?

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 a wife-beater means the same as someone older would.

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

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

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?

Yes, it is an effective opening strategy, it shows 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?

The formal definition adds credibility to her terms and shows that she 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?

Smith presents information on the history of the wife-beater in stanza 8. She includes this because it explains how it got its name.

4.     Where does Smith quote statistics? Do you see this information as relevant or incidental to her argument?

Smith includes statistics in paragraph 13 as she wants the reader to understand that domestic violence is still a serious issue, and these statistics help to make Smith’s point. 

***

Click for Next Lesson: https://limbuchandrabahadur.blogspot.com/2025/05/let-them-drink-water-daniel-engber-bbs.html