men essay Flashcards
(20 cards)
intro
“If Men Could Menstruate” is a satirical, journalistic piece penned by renowned writer and feminist Gloria Steinem which deconstructs the concept of discrimination and what life would be like if men menstruated rather than women. Through her use of various techniques such as humour the writer inspires us to consider the complexities of discrimination by using an alternative reality where men have periods instead of women to deepen our understanding and persuade us to agree with her view that there is a lack of reason or logic behind discrimination.
para 1 topic sentence
Cleverly crafted language is used to establish crucial context surrounding Steinem’s views on discrimination, enabling readers to grasp the concept that discrimination is illogical right from the beginning. Steinem opens the text with a very salient point so it is immediately made clear to us and understood by readers that she doesn’t believe in the concept of discrimination.
para 1 quotes
“conning”
“womb envy” + “penis envy”
“logic has nothing to do with oppression”
“conning”
The word “conning” has connotations of trying to make someone believe something untrue. This suggests that there is no true reason for discriminating against others. Furthermore, it highlights that we have been lied to in order to make us believe that there is a reason for discrimination when in reality there isn’t.
“womb envy” + “penis envy”
Steinem then goes on to employ humour when describing “womb envy” as a more logical concept than “penis envy”. This creates a humorous tone as the idea of “womb envy” is ridiculous to us as women have always been stereotyped as weaker than men. This demonstrates that Steinem believes “womb envy” would make more sense than “penis envy”. However, due to discrimination against women for supposedly being weaker than men that is not the case and the mere idea of it is so ridiculous to us that it is humorous.
“logic has nothing to do with oppression”
Finally, Steinem hammers her view home by explaining that “logic has nothing to do with oppression”. This sharp, punchy line reinforces Steinem’s belief that systems of power are not based on reason or fairness, but on control. This emphasises that there is no sense or reason behind discriminating against people as it is simply unfair and completely unjustifiable. This solidifies Steinem’s view that discrimination is illogical and provides context as to why she is later empowered to create an alternative reality to further prove her point.
para 1 conclusion
Steinem is successful in drawing readers in by using excellent humour and word choice to provide essential context that Steinem believes discrimination is illogical before she goes on to continue to use humour to persuade us to agree with her opinion and enlighten our understanding of the text as a whole.
para 2 topic sentence
Now that we understand the writer’s view that discrimination is illogical she goes on to employ techniques such as humour to help influence our understanding of discrimination and the text as a whole as the idea that menstruation wouldn’t be taboo if men have periods is explored. Steinem transports us into an alternative reality where men menstruate rather than women at this point in the text to help further prove her point that discrimination lacks reason and logic.
para 2 quotes
“men would brag about how much and how long”
“yeah, man, I’m on the rag!”
“TV shows would treat the subject at length”
“men would brag about how much and how long”
It is shocking yet sadly credible when the writer notes that “men would brag about how much and how long”. This line flips the cultural script around menstruation, forcing the reader to reflect on how social norms are shaped not by biology, but by power. The word “brag” has connotations of boasting. This suggests that if men had periods it would be celebrated and they would boast about it. This is humorous as it is ludicrous for us to even think about women boasting about periods with the reality we live in as the stark reality is that there is a huge amount of shame surrounding menstruation for women in our society. This emphasises the presence discrimination has in our reality.
“yeah, man, I’m on the rag!”
It is highlighted to us that in this alternate reality men would come up with slang for their periods such as “yeah, man, I’m on the rag!”. The casual tone given to menstruation in this imagined male world highlights the double standard — where men’s bodies would be normalised and women’s are stigmatised. This suggests that due to discrimination against women in our current reality. The tone also suggests that men would take pride in being on their period and almost brag about it. This contrasts our reality in which women feel ashamed to have or speak about being on their periods.
“TV shows would treat the subject at length”
The open communication surrounding menstruation in this alternate reality is made clear through the short sentence “TV shows would treat the subject at length”. The short sentence is used to emphasise the large amount of time that would be spent discussing the topic of menstruation if men menstruated. This emphasises that the topic of menstruation would be mainstream and discussed widely with no shame. It also underlines the idea that men would not have to hide their menstruation which contrasts what women experience now as they are discriminated against for having periods. This is coupled with the cultural reference to the show “Happy Days” which creates something for readers to cling onto so they can deepen their understanding of this concept.
para 2 conclusion
The writer successfully informs readers of how menstruation wouldn’t be taboo in an alternative reality where men have periods to allow readers to be influenced against discrimination as we realise the lack of sense behind it and the negative impacts it has.
para 3 topic sentence
Through the inclusion of humour the writer influences our understanding of the text while persuading us that discrimination is illogical by underlining the role of women in our society.
para 3 quotes
“the ERA would force housewives to wound themselves every month”
“and how would women be trained to act?”
“if we let them”
“the ERA would force housewives to wound themselves every month”
By continuing to use the alternate reality in which men have periods the writer explains that “the ERA would force housewives to wound themselves every month”. The ERA stands for Equal Rights Act which puts emphasis on a better democracy and change within society. The word “force” has connotations of doing something against someone’s will. This highlights that women would be pressured to hurt themselves. The relation to housewives emphasises that at this time women were expected to stay at home rather than working however they wanted a change and to become more independent. This demonstrates the role of change as women are not getting the respect for the work they do and they want a change.
“and how would women be trained to act?”
By asking the question “and how would women be trained to act?” women’s role in society is highlighted. Provocative language is used here to evoke a reaction from readers when they realise women are being so dehumanised as they are referred to as animals. We usually associate an animal to be wild and vain where they have no self control or understanding of human emotions and so it illustrates the idea that in the alternate reality women are put down and discriminated against regardless of the roles being reversed.
“if we let them”
The short sentence “if we let them” is used to underline that discrimination is wrong. The word “if” has connotations of being an option. This highlights how men would only gain power if women let them. Furthermore, the short sentence emphasises how all discrimination is wrong and women have the ability to make a change and this is inspirational to many people. It also highlights that you don’t need to be a woman to understand that discrimination is wrong. Steinem suggests that emotional intelligence, often dismissed as a feminine trait, might actually lead to fairer outcomes — challenging the idea that male power is inevitable or deserved.
para 3 conclusion
The writer successfully explains the role women play in our society and how discrimination has influenced these roles to influence readers’ understanding of the text and persuade us to agree that discrimination is illogical.
conclusion
Overall, through her sharp wit and ironic reversals Steinem makes us laugh, then think deeply about how ridiculous discrimination really is. This influenced our understanding of the entire text and persuaded us to agree with her view as we are shocked to realise the effects of discrimination and how ridiculous it is as a concept.
