Discussion 7

Discussion The essay illuminates the mentality of the genders that is surfaced from the dressing of men and women. The author was in a conference and she judged people by their dressing. She analyzed from head to toe, the three women who were present at the conference and she came to the conclusion that women always try to be “ marked”. Marked is the term which is used in the essay to highlight the fact that women always try to make their presence felt and they try different and out of the way things in order to get prominent. For example the three women dressed differently in the meeting. The first woman wore solid-color blouses, the second woman was middle aged and wore sophisticated shoes and dress whereas the third woman was trying to be attractive and wore jumpers which were provocative in nature and appealing.
The author says that she noticed a great stability in the dressing styles of men as there were no volatile standards in dressing and shoe wear. She said that when she thought about the reason for not noticing the men in the conference, she came to know the fact that men are not marked. There do not try to be extra prominent anywhere. She says that she is there is no such thing as biological differences when it comes to the classification of genders rather it the “ marking” factor which makes us man or woman. She gives the reference of the famous author Fasold who said the terms which are used to differentiate between men and women on the biological levels surfaced in the 19th century as the sex-indefinite pronouns. She says that being “ marked” is the necessity for woman as they cannot survive in the cooperate world whereas men can work being unmarked.
Works cited
Tannen , Deborah . ” Marked Women, Unmarked Men”. The New York Times Magazine , 1993. Print.