The two essays, “I Want a Wife” (Brady, 1971) and “Homeless” (Quindlen, n.d.) both resonate with readers at different levels. This essay will compare and contrast narrative and descriptive essay forms and argue that although "I Want a Wife" uses humor in an effective narrative style, the imagery used in "Homeless" evokes more powerful feelings in the reader regarding stability and belonging. a more convincing essay. Judy Brady's narrative style in "I Want a Wife" uses sarcasm quite effectively to describe her personal experience as a wife. She graphically details the conventional marital division of labor while subtly highlighting inequalities. As disparate as these marital duties appear to be, they constitute an almost universal representation of a traditional household. Brady lists all the elements of a working household: cooking, cleaning, organizing, planning, and maintaining the family. She clearly implies that without a woman, the home would cease to function. Moreover, the very label "woman" implies all the listed duties and responsibilities. Throughout the essay, only action words are used in relation to the woman; in fact, it's as if the word "wife" is actually a verb instead of a noun. The house Brady describes only includes activities. The sum of these activities creates the house. The woman embodies the duties, therefore, the woman is the home. As Brady says, “Who wouldn’t want a wife?” » In the descriptive essay “Homeless,” Anna Quindlen relies on shared history rather than humor to engage her audience. Her vivid depiction of what it means to be homeless plays a symphony of emotions in the reader. In "Homeless" it's the tangible objects that prove middle of paper......in the hand, "Homeless" uses vivid imagery, universal desires and not-so-secret fears to strike a chord. we all recognize. By definition, the narrative essay is the account of an event or experience, while a descriptive essay relies on detailed images to establish a connection with the topic. Careful use of language and symbolism in descriptive writing helps quickly engage the reader with the topic. On the other hand, the narration can seem impersonal, which allows the reader to remain disengaged. For these reasons, “Homeless” is the more compelling essay and the descriptive essay is far superior to narrative. Works Cited Brady, J. (1971). I want a wife. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/content/cat_020/Brady_I_Want_a_Wife.pdf Quindlen, A. (nd). Homeless. Retrieved from http://pers.dadeschools.net/prodev/homelesstext.htm