Are all women marked as women? If so, what does it mean? In the article, “There is No Unmarked Women” by Deborah Tannen, she goes into this topic in depth. Although this article was published in 1993, it is a remarkable and timeless piece of work. She goes into the basics of a female's life and their place in society compared to a man's. In society, a woman will stand out further than men, since they are “marked”. According to Tannen, “marked” can be understood as, “...a staple of linguistic theory”(para 8). Which I agree with, since referring to someone as ‘marked’ or ‘unmarked’ is not as a person would think. It goes into a deeper meaning, as she uses it to describe an individual who takes extra attention and recognition than others. Which …show more content…
It is nearly impossible to remain unnoticed in any setting, under any circumstances. Despite any situation, a person is marked in some way or another, regardless of: Culture, Religion, or Setting. In society, whether a man or woman, there are set standards established, and if they are not met in the slightest, one will stand out. Women more often will ‘stand out’ further than men, because of the different set of standards and expectations they are held to. This shouldn’t be the case, due to the social roles being flipped. The men are the ones who should stand out, because they are the ‘marked’ ones. Furthermore, Tannen references Ralph Fasold by stating how he stresses, “that language and culture are particularly unfair in treating women as the marked case because biologically it is the male it is marked”(para 20). By expressing this, Tannen goes deeper into depth by also looking at this from a biological standpoint. Including the basics of biology, such as the X and Y chromosomes, which differentiate males and …show more content…
She further expresses that no matter what a person acts, expresses or dresses, they will be marked as something. Which carries on throughout the whole article, as a primary implication. A person can express themselves in numerous different ways, whether it be direct or indirect. An individual can tell plenty about another individual by simply looking at their appearance, actions, or remarks. Tannen can correlate with this through a point where she states, “If a woman’s clothing is tight or revealing (in other words, sexy), it sends a message.If her clothes are not sexy, that too sends a message”(para 16). I agree with this heavily, since no matter how a person appears, it always conveys a message, whether it be negative or positive. An individual can also send a message by their name, such as ‘Ms.’, ‘Mrs.’. Or ‘Miss’, revealing their relationship status. A person can also convey a message from their name, whether to change it or not after one is married. This conveys a more meaningful message compared to a man, since a title or name does not reveal much about a man's status. Altogether, no matter the circumstance, a woman will always remain
Deborah Tannen once stated, “[Women] didn’t have the freedom to be unmarked” in There is No Unmarked Woman” (par. 34). I do agree with Tannen’s statement, that contemporary women’s freedom has not improved. As a teenager in today’s society, I’ve often fell victim to the stereotypes. A marked woman is a woman placed into a particular category. In “There is No Unmarked Woman” by Deborah Tannen, she claimed that every style available to women was marked (as a judgment). Men have the freedom to be unmarked
In Deborah Tannen’s “Marked Woman, Unmarked Men” she illustrates how she believes the way women carry themselves are more looked upon then the way a man does. When it comes to women they had to take what they look like into consideration and each decision that the woman has made, carried a meaning. Men have to make decisions as well, however their decisions are not as notable as woman. I support Tannen’s argument about women being marked. Woman are marked by what they wear to who they marry. Nonetheless
Women: Marked or Unmarked? Deborah Tannen’s essay, “There Is No Unmarked Woman”, explores the idea of “marked” and “unmarked” words, styles, titles, and how females have no ability to choose an unmarked position in life. She posits that “The unmarked forms of most English words also convey ‘male’” (88). Tannen is incorrect in her premises because females are able to choose unmarked hair and clothing styles, men are marked just as often as women, and many unmarked forms of words no longer convey