Rhetorical Analysis: How to be a “Woman Programmer” The computer programmer, Ellen Ullman writes about her experience as a woman in a dominantly male profession in her essay, How to be a “Woman Programmer” that was published in the op-ed column in the New York Times in 2013. Ullman is the author of the novels By Blood (2013) and The Bug (2003). She has also published a memoir entitled, Close to the Machine: Technophilia and its Discontents (2001). In this memoir, she recounts her experiences in the 1980’s as one of the first female computer programmers. Ullman has worked as a technology commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered, as well as written for Harper’s, Wired, and Salon. Her honest, direct recounts of her experiences make her essay’s
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Ullman says, “Let me separate the two words and being with what it means to be a programmer” (726). This is an astute way to start this essay because it instantly created ethos with the audience as well as creating the exigence of the essay. Being able to distinguish herself as a decent programmer who also happened to be a woman gives the reader the sense that Ullman knows what she is talking about as well as the goal she is trying to achieve in writing this article. The exigency to lose the stigma behind “woman programmers” is …show more content…
She begins by explaining how women do not have any legal protection against rude or inappropriate comments they might receive. Ullman connects with the readers by using logos and pathos here. She uses logos by explaining how in the 1980’s she had no legal protection and then pathos when describing a sexually demeaning event that she experienced. A client of hers consistently stroked Ullman’s back while she was working on fixing his computer system. Ullman confides in her readers saying that she “considered installing a small software bomb” onto his computer, but knew that it would ruin her professional integrity. This shows us that Ullman has been faced with borderline sexual harassment and still puts her profession first. This might be considered noble Ullman also later confides that she has also had experiences in which it is better to put her own personal needs in front of her professional
Ullman says, “Let me separate the two words and being with what it means to be a programmer” (726). This is an astute way to start this essay because it instantly created ethos with the audience as well as creating the exigence of the essay. Being able to distinguish herself as a decent programmer who also happened to be a woman gives the reader the sense that Ullman knows what she is talking about as well as the goal she is trying to achieve in writing this article. The exigency to lose the stigma behind “woman programmers” is …show more content…
She begins by explaining how women do not have any legal protection against rude or inappropriate comments they might receive. Ullman connects with the readers by using logos and pathos here. She uses logos by explaining how in the 1980’s she had no legal protection and then pathos when describing a sexually demeaning event that she experienced. A client of hers consistently stroked Ullman’s back while she was working on fixing his computer system. Ullman confides in her readers saying that she “considered installing a small software bomb” onto his computer, but knew that it would ruin her professional integrity. This shows us that Ullman has been faced with borderline sexual harassment and still puts her profession first. This might be considered noble Ullman also later confides that she has also had experiences in which it is better to put her own personal needs in front of her professional