Camille's Blog

Chapter 6 The Family as Community

Case Study Barrie Jean Borich

“When I Call Her My Husband”

 This case study is about two women who are in a relationship together living in Minneapolis, MN. The writer is confused and asks, “Are we married?” She goes into description of their home, stuff they own, and first things they have bought together. She wonders does this make us married. Technically no, but wouldn’t you consider this to possibly be a marriage? I believe that’s what this case study is trying to prove. If two people can love each other so much and own things together, what makes them different from a heterosexual marriage? Another part of this study I want to point out is when they were discussing on whether to call each other wife or husband. Linnea, her lover, calls her wife and she feels it fits for her. She says the same to Linnea and she feels her tense up not liking it. Than she says, “You’re my Husband” and she instantly feels Linnea relax. She goes on to say that she isn’t called her Husband because she looks manly or acts like a man, but simply because she’s the one to lead her when dancing. Stuff like that. A quote that I thought was interesting was when the writer says, “When I call her my husband I mean that she’s a woman I saw dressed seriously in a skirt and hells just once, early on, when she still tried to cross over for job interviews.” I just thought it was interesting how she says “crossed over” meaning to show she looks straight. That’s what I got from it anyway. I personally think that it shouldn’t be a problem for same-sex couples to get married. It doesn’t hurt us for them to be happy.

Composing A Civic Life “A Rhetoric and Readings for Inquiry and Action” 2nd ed. New York: Michael Berndt & Amy Muse, 2007. 265-68. Print