Analysis Of What I Ve Learned From Men By Barbara Ehrenreich

Toughen Up
Barbara Ehrenreich’s short essay "What I’ve Learned from men" first emerged in Ms. Magazine, an American liberal feminist publication. In this essay Ehrenreich aims to convince her audience that women must raise from oppression, take credit for what they deserve, and most importantly, “toughen up.” “But now, at mid-life, I am willing to admit that there are some real and useful things to learn from men. Not from all men- in fact, we may have the most to learn from some of the men we like the least. This realization does not mean that my feminist principles have gone soft with age: what I think women could learn from men is how to get tough.” Ethos, pathos, logos, tone and style are some of the techniques Ehrenreich competently uses …show more content…
Her message is conveyed in a well crafted and thought out work of passion and assertiveness that is evident throughout this essay. Ehrenreich’s writing is engaging to the audience and keeps them involved throughout her essay. Her style is unique in that I have not seen any other piece where the style comes off as almost sarcastic to make an argument. One example of this is seen towards the end of the essay where Ehrenreich writes, “I for example, have rerun the scene with the prestigious professor many times in my mind. And in my mind, I play it like Bogart. I star by moving my chair over to where I can look the professor full in the face. I let him do the chattering, and when it becomes evident that he has nothing serious to say, I lean back and cross my arms, just to let him know that he’s wasting my time. I do not smile, neither do I nod encouragement. Nor, of course, do I respond to his blandishments with apologetic shrugs and blushes. Then, at the first flicker of lechery, I stand up and announce coolly, “All right, I’ve had enough of this crap.” Then I walk out – slowly, deliberately, and confidently. Just like a man.
Or – now that I think of it – just like a woman.” Through this example, her argument is clear that she will not behave as society expects a “lady” to behave. Barbara Ehrenreich’s short essay "What I’ve Learned from men" appeals to ethos, logos, pathos, style and tone in a way that makes it an engagingly valid undoubted essay. Ehrenreich has crafted this essay in a way that makes her overall message heard loud and clear. In this essay Ehrenreich writes to persuade her audience that women must raise from oppression, take credit for what they deserve, and most importantly, “toughen