WIFE'S ROLE1

WIFE'S PURPOSE ANALYSIS

This analysis compares two writers.

Both are male. Naturally, they viewed from the point of view of a husband.

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1. [b]Francis Bacon: 1561 - 1626, English essayist[/b].

QUOTE:
Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age, and old men's nurses.

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2. Baddena, a Telugu poet, died 1260 A.D.

QUOTE
pani ceeyun ed`ala daasi yu,
anubhavamu na rambha, mamtri aaloocana lan,
tana bhukti ed`ala talliyu,
nan tana kula kaamta umd`u nagu raa Sumatii !! 71

FOUR FOLD ROLE OF WIFE
1. A servant maid while working; 2. A nymph and sweetheart during intercourse; 3. A minister and adviser in plans and strategies; 4. Mother while feeding.

pani = work; ceeyu = doing, working; ed`ala = at the time of ; daasi = servant maid; anubhavamu na = experience of intercourse; rambha = name of a heavenly nymph; mamtri = minister and adviser; aaloocana = thought, plan, strategy; tana = one's own; bhukti = feeding, food; ed`ala = in the case of ; talli = mother; kula kaamta = wife;
umd`u = stays, functions; agu = will be.

Though Baddena identifies four roles, essentially Baddena and Bacon portrayed similar roles.

So far so good, optimistically.

The real question is every home has a varying mix and weights for different functions.

Two extreme examples:

First: Mistress : 70%, Minister and adviser : 20%, Mother 5%, Maid 5% (probably during early days of marriage).

Second: Servant maid 70%, Mother 20%, Nymph 5%, Minister and adviser NIL. (As the marriage progresses).

Situation becomes awful and abominable.

(To continue. Comments are welcome).