bring children for the husband?

[alpacinou]

Does it make sense to say "bring children for her husband"?

Is this okay?

She was from a traditional family and knew her role in the world she inhabited: bring children for her husband and make sure those children obey him. She neither challenged nor questioned her husband's authority.

If that doesn't work, how should the idea be expressed?

 

[Barque]

No, "bring" doesn't work there. You could use "bear".

And by the way you need "obeyed".

 

[alpacinou]

No, "bring" doesn't work there. You could use "bear".

And by the way you need "obeyed".

Is this okay?

She was from a traditional family and knew her role in the world she inhabited: bear children for her husband and make sure those children obeyed him. She neither challenged nor questioned her husband's authority.

 

[Barque]

Sounds good.

I assume this'll be a line in a story/novel/article and not casual informal speech.

 

[Rover_KE]

... or to have children ...

'...to bring children' sounds like she's importing somebody else's youngsters.

 

[Barque]

You could possibly say "produce children for her husband" but that makes her sound a little like a machine. Traditional male-dominated societies do view women as children-producing machines (ignoring the fact that the man's fertility can make a difference), so if that's the impression you're aiming for, you could consider it.

 

[Tarheel]

She was from a traditional family and knew her role in the world she inhabited: bear children for her husband and make sure they obey him. She neither challenged nor questioned her husband's authority.

I'm not not at all sure why @Barque thinks "obey" should be in the past tense, however you could also say that one of her jobs is to make sure the children are obedient.

You could say that a housewife's duties are to cook, keep a clean house, and take care of the children. (Part of that last one is to make sure they obey their father.)

 

[Barque]

I'm not not at all sure why @Barque thinks "obey" should be in the past tense

Interesting point. I'm not sure either. It just sounds right to me. I think it's because of the past tense of "was", "knew" and "inhabited".

There's an elided "to" there of course.
"to bear children for her husband and to make sure they obeyed him".

 

[emsr2d2]

I disagree that it should it be the past tense. Allegedly, her job is to make sure the kids obey him (at all times). It's a habitual action she's looking for so the present simple is appropriate.

 

[Tarheel]

Everyday duties and obligations.