Deborah Tannen's Deep Down Dark

One of the points that Deborah Tannen makes is that bonds between boys and men are just as strong as bonds between women. However, the difference lies in the way these relationships are cultivated. Unlike women, men are able to relate to each other by doing things together as well as joking or calling each other names as described in Deep Down Dark.
The miners were able to survive for 69 days because they had built solid relationships with one another during the time they worked together. Most of these men knew each other on a personal level and had already established a certain level of respect between them.
When the mountain collapsed and they realized they were trapped, they unite to try to find a way out. In spite of the uncertainty of

The prayers are held each day right before meal time and it’s the one time each day that all 33 miners come together. As the time progresses these meetings play a big role because the men don’t only pray and eat together but also acknowledge their short comings and offenses to one another big and small and apologize to one another for any wrong doing.
Deep Down Dark, is able to convey in detail the actions that these men took in order to survive which is what Deborah Tannen’s research concluded about men bonding based on activities. They became closer as a result of a tragedy. They had to trust one another and respect each other’s needs and views in order to avoid any disagreements that would have made it impossible to survive being in such a dire situation. They helped one another remain hopeful and not give up even when their survival was uncertain in the face of the massive rock that seemed so mighty and had trapped them below. This is a story about perseverance grit and faith among a group of men that solidified their relationships based on the hardship they faced