Rhetorical analysis
Rhetorical analysis of “Bitch”
Beverly Gross’s "Bitch" first appeared in the Salmagundi, a humanities and social sciences-based magazine in 1994. In this essay Gross mainly discussed about the meaning of the word “Bitch” changed across time. She analyzed the word in different perceptive, its offensive meaning, its contemptuous meaning and its literal meaning. As the meaning of the word “Bitch” is changing over time, it actually represents the women’s roles in the society is changing as well. Gross illustrates the word “Bitch” as a demeaning word, she claimed, “A word used by men who are threatened by women”. (Beverly Gross, P.628) It shows that men are willing to be the dominant of the society, and the word “bitch” is an ultimate weapon men have to humiliate women. Anecdotes, contrast and comparison are techniques Gross used to create a strong, powerful and persuasive essay.
Gross begins her essay with a personal experience in class about discussing Mary McCarthy’s The Group. This beginning immediately establishes the essay as personal opinions. It can catch audiences’ interest. Moreover, the experience she had in class is used as background information. It helps her to make her first point that man is the dominant of the society. Then, she used the definition of “Bitch” in different dictionaries. Giving definitions from dictionary like this are tend to lighten the mood of the essay, and make the essay more convincing. This essay can simply get women’s interest and related to their personal experience of being called “Bitch”. The experience and definitions she used is to support her main ideas of the essay. Gross used the definition of different dictionaries to define the word “Bitch”, although the meaning is changing, she said that the word is “Still the most offensive appellation the English language provides to hurl at a woman.”(Beverly Gross, P.628)
At the second part of the Gross’s essay, she began to use contrast. The numerous examples of contrast the
Beverly Gross’s "Bitch" first appeared in the Salmagundi, a humanities and social sciences-based magazine in 1994. In this essay Gross mainly discussed about the meaning of the word “Bitch” changed across time. She analyzed the word in different perceptive, its offensive meaning, its contemptuous meaning and its literal meaning. As the meaning of the word “Bitch” is changing over time, it actually represents the women’s roles in the society is changing as well. Gross illustrates the word “Bitch” as a demeaning word, she claimed, “A word used by men who are threatened by women”. (Beverly Gross, P.628) It shows that men are willing to be the dominant of the society, and the word “bitch” is an ultimate weapon men have to humiliate women. Anecdotes, contrast and comparison are techniques Gross used to create a strong, powerful and persuasive essay.
Gross begins her essay with a personal experience in class about discussing Mary McCarthy’s The Group. This beginning immediately establishes the essay as personal opinions. It can catch audiences’ interest. Moreover, the experience she had in class is used as background information. It helps her to make her first point that man is the dominant of the society. Then, she used the definition of “Bitch” in different dictionaries. Giving definitions from dictionary like this are tend to lighten the mood of the essay, and make the essay more convincing. This essay can simply get women’s interest and related to their personal experience of being called “Bitch”. The experience and definitions she used is to support her main ideas of the essay. Gross used the definition of different dictionaries to define the word “Bitch”, although the meaning is changing, she said that the word is “Still the most offensive appellation the English language provides to hurl at a woman.”(Beverly Gross, P.628)
At the second part of the Gross’s essay, she began to use contrast. The numerous examples of contrast the