Evolution The Guy Code By Deborah Tannen Analysis

Words and Their Power It is impossible to say that words do not have power. A word can determine everything. Language used by a certain group of people can pressure someone to act a certain way. A word can make someone feel weak, worthless, or unappreciated. Words are everything. These ideas are relevant in many essays including “You’re Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation” by Deborah Tannen, “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” by Michael Kimmel, and “‘Queer’ Evolution: Word Goes Mainstream” by Martha Irvine. The first essay is how the way we talk affects our relationships. The second explains what it means to be a man and the third talks about the evolution of the word “Queer.” Deborah Tannen and Michael Kimmel

This Idea is true in Tannen’s essay. She explains how certain people can have more power in their words then others. She uses a mother and a daughter as an example. She states that daughters take what mothers say as more of a criticism and mothers see it as they can’t even speak without being blamed for something. Tannen explains that they are both right but fail to see the other’s perspective. The daughter yearns for approval and therefore the mother has more power. Tannen shows this by saying “Because a mother’s opinion matters so much, she has enormous power. Her smallest comment– or no comment at all; just a look– can fill a daughter with hurt and consequently anger” (450). This same idea is presented in Kimmel’s essay as well. He starts of by saying that he asked women what it means to be a women and they said it can mean whatever they want, but “For men, the question is still meaningful– and powerful” (469). The words “Be a man!” is still powerful and has a deeper meaning to some people. Many men today are pressured by these words because they don’t want to be considered outcasts in today’s

This isn’t always a good thing. Men want the approval of other men because they are terrified of being called words like “sissy” and “gay”. Kimmel asked many men where they get the ideas of being a man. He explains that “The response was consistent: Guys hear the voices of the men in their lives – fathers, coaches, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, priests – to inform their ideas of masculinity” (471). The relationships these men have/had with others played a role in the way they thought of themselves. This is the same idea of Tannen’s essay. The relationship of the mother and daughter and the words that were used affected the thoughts about themselves. They wanted approval just like men want approval from other men. Even though this is an issue today, some men are now choosing to break the traditions even though the are seen as an outcast of the