A Mother's Day Kiss Off Analysis

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Pages: 4

When a couple decides to become parents, the only guarantee is compromise. Compromise of lifestyle, spending habits, and vacation time. Compromising on who should get the groceries, who should run the kids to school, and who should change the diapers. For many families, the biggest compromise comes in the form of deciding who will remain home with the children, and who should be tasked with bringing in an income. The role of the stay-at-home parent is viewed drastically differently by those who see the negative and positives of a life dedicated to the rearing of one’s children. In “A Mother’s Day Kiss Off” author Leslie Bennetts laments upon the struggles of a life she feels is forced upon many, and the burdens women carry in a society that constantly undermines their worth. Eric Bartels, author of “My Problem with Her Anger”, presents a contrasting view of this, as …show more content…
While Bennetts in passing references the “permanent state of simmering anger in all too many women” (42), Bartel remains fixated on this “level of fury unlike anything [they hav] ever experienced” (58). They both provide anecdotal evidence of this, with Bennetts first citing the case of a mother, upon leaving her dream job to raise her kids, becomes shocked at the tone in which she describes this choice (42-43). And while she relies on just one example of this, Bartel continuously references this shortcoming of his wife, from her scornful reaction to his meals or rude remarks to his bedtime routines. While these evidences do strengthen the papers, Leslie Bennetts presents a stronger case by breaking away from solely emotional appeals and relying on confirmative fact. Eric Bartel’s repetitive complaint of his wife’s complaints present a more accusatory tone, and distract from the true intent of his paper. It serves less to elicit sympathy, and more often than not comes across as a cry for