Societal issues are apparent in the evident gap among sexes. Anna Quindlen’s essay, “Between the Sexes, A Great Divide, discusses just that. Quindlen reflects upon the questions: Can one cross the divide of the sexes? Or, are these differences inevitably incurable?” The author addresses the inevitable chasm that exists between male and female.
The author appeals to the memory through imagery and vivid anecdotes. Through a nostalgic tone, Quindlen recalls the first boy-girl party “we” attended. She utilizes the word “we” to instill common ground for the reader and the author. She goes on describing the awkwardness of the party and vividly shows how the “floors were waxed, the music loud, the air thick with the smell of cologne.” (p. 1) This …show more content…
Her neutral perspective is seen in paragraph 4 when she discusses how she has always been a feminist however she has also always been one of the boys as well. She then debunks any other argument by stating that she’s “spent a lot of time telling [herself] that men and women are fundamentally alike” (p.4) and again compels the reader to empathize with her. She then progresses to distinctly portray the stereotypes she sees within the genders by listing some adjectives consecutively in a fragmented way, for example, “Mom. Weird. Women.” (p.8), and “Husband. Strange. Men” (p.9) in an attempt to compare the both as well as contrast it. By doing this, not only does she strengthen her critical analysis, but it also refers back to the metaphor referred to in the beginning and remains unbiased throughout the essay. The essay comes to a close as the author once again ties her metaphor into the very last sentence. Reflecting upon her young son and his best friend (a female), Quindlen writes, “Between them, the floor already stretches, an ocean to cross before they can dance uneasily in one another’s arms” (p.13). The author reinforces that the gap between female and male is inevitable but crossing it is not. Through the idea of the “dance”, Quindlen establishes that coming together is not impossible, but rather just
The author appeals to the memory through imagery and vivid anecdotes. Through a nostalgic tone, Quindlen recalls the first boy-girl party “we” attended. She utilizes the word “we” to instill common ground for the reader and the author. She goes on describing the awkwardness of the party and vividly shows how the “floors were waxed, the music loud, the air thick with the smell of cologne.” (p. 1) This …show more content…
Her neutral perspective is seen in paragraph 4 when she discusses how she has always been a feminist however she has also always been one of the boys as well. She then debunks any other argument by stating that she’s “spent a lot of time telling [herself] that men and women are fundamentally alike” (p.4) and again compels the reader to empathize with her. She then progresses to distinctly portray the stereotypes she sees within the genders by listing some adjectives consecutively in a fragmented way, for example, “Mom. Weird. Women.” (p.8), and “Husband. Strange. Men” (p.9) in an attempt to compare the both as well as contrast it. By doing this, not only does she strengthen her critical analysis, but it also refers back to the metaphor referred to in the beginning and remains unbiased throughout the essay. The essay comes to a close as the author once again ties her metaphor into the very last sentence. Reflecting upon her young son and his best friend (a female), Quindlen writes, “Between them, the floor already stretches, an ocean to cross before they can dance uneasily in one another’s arms” (p.13). The author reinforces that the gap between female and male is inevitable but crossing it is not. Through the idea of the “dance”, Quindlen establishes that coming together is not impossible, but rather just