Batting Clean-Up And Striking Out Analysis

A Comparative Analysis of “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” and

“Neat People vs. Sloppy People”

In “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out,” Dave Barry emphasizes some of the differences that make men and women unique. He uses examples to support his argument that women can see microscopic amounts of dirt that men can’t see, and that men are rather partial to sports while women could care less. Similarly, Suzanne Britt contrasts neat people and sloppy people in her article, “Neat People vs. Sloppy People,” and argues that sloppy people are morally superior to neat people. Both authors write with the purpose of entertaining their readers by using either stories or examples. Yet, while both of the essays have aspects that are similar, they also

Barry doesn’t believe that there is a difference in morality between men and women. He emphasizes their personality and character differences but doesn’t propose that men are better than women or that women are better than men. As a man, Berry appeared somewhat baffled by the actions and preferences of women. Barry says it this way, “…somewhere during the growth process, a hormonal secretion takes place in women that enables them to see dirt that men cannot see” (220). And, “A more representative woman is my friend Maddy, who once invited some people, including my wife and me, over to her house for an evening of stimulating conversation and jovial companionship, which sounds fine except that this particular evening occurred during a World Series game” (222). This shows how women’s preferences differ to that of men but not that men are morally superior to women. Barry embraces the differences between the sexes and isn’t trying to find a way out. Britt, on the other hand, argues that there is a moral distinction between neat people and sloppy people. While she may not in reality believe this, Britt declares, “The distinction is, as always moral… neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people” (214). She goes on to explain that sloppy people’s sloppiness is a result of “their extreme moral rectitude” (214). Sloppy people have no hope of becoming neat because they think on a

The first way that they are similar is in their use of extreme stereotypes. Barry categorizes people into two groups; men and women. The stereotypical man doesn’t know how to clean the house and spends most of his time watching sports and eating. Barry tells the story of the people of Pompeii (221) as an excuse for men’s lack of cleaning skills, and uses a personal story to emphasize the importance of sports to the male population (222). Opposite of the men, is the stereotypical woman. She is extremely particular in what the correct way to clean is, and how clean something should be (221). She loves to “prattle about human relationships or something” (222), and “tends to be extremely calloused [about sports]” (221). In this way Barry emphasizes the extreme stereotypes in men and women. Similarly, Britt uses stereotypes to describe neat people and sloppy people. While most people fall somewhere in the middle of these, Britt chose to write about the extremes on both sides. She describes sloppy people as “Not really sloppy” (214). She explains that people are considered “sloppy” because they “live in Never-Never Land” (214). They are creative, messy, keep everything, and really care about the process that leads to results. She goes on to say, “For all these noble reasons and more, sloppy people never get neat. They aim too high and wide” (215). Britt is herself a