Deborah Tannen There Is No Unmarked Woman Summary

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, because their physical appearance is not as judged as women’s. Tannen mentioned, “Some days you just want to get dressed and go about your business. But if you’re a woman, you can’t,” (page 15).

Now some may say, as society progresses women are now redefining what it means to be “a woman”. And that there’s no strict stereotypes on women for style of fashion and occupations. Do we really see a change in society about women? In addition, the world is beginning to accept the unique and creative style that

women choose to wear; women and men are gradually becoming more equivalent when it comes to traditional male occupations. For instance, Sarah Palin and former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, paved a way for women by attempting to hold a male dominated position. Because of a patriarchal society, women were seen as too feeble to hold office.
There’s no basic or neutral woman; we all have a different style or approach in clothing (to fit our personality). As a female we love to express our emotions and
status throughout clothing and jewelry. For instance, we may have heard majority of teenagers say, “Today, I did not try.” They’re most likely referring to their appearance as in wearing no make up and loose clothing. Even if the clothing is casual, we’re still considered “marked” in Tannen’s ideology. From the choice of flats to wear to the type of hairstyle, nothing is common; everything is unique. Most likely everything a woman does will go against her as negative judgment (aspects that are different will often receive the most attention). Negative judgment such as slut-shaming (sexual) or attention seeking. If women had similar styles (like the unmarked men) then less attention would be received.
For former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, not only running for President was stressful. Hillary received a lot of backlash, because of her appearance and gender. Men are chauvinistic, especially when it comes to politics. In an article by Daniel Bush called, The Hidden Sexism, states that “The more female politicians are seen as striving for power, the less they’re trusted and the more moral outrage gets directed at them”. Although Clinton’s proposals were beneficial and considerate, because of her sex many Americans believe she was unqualified.
The appearance of a female is the most critically important aspect. Even at a young age, females are told that imperfections are not acceptable in society. In order to look “beautiful”, makeup became a vital resource to cover up flaws. In a statistic from a survey “From Barbies to Blush”, “two-thirds (65%) of girls between the ages of 8 and 13” started to wear makeup. If a female were to wear too much (caked makeup), she would be called “fake” or “a try hard” to attract attention. On the other hand, if a female wore too little, she would be marked as “not trying” to look decent or unattractive “ugly”.
Even in a larger sense, the world will still underestimate the ability of a woman.

Men and women even in the 21st century are still not considered equivalent when it comes to occupations. In “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” by Marry Wollstonecraft, Mary mentions “some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern.” (pg. 7) Since, men often believe that women are inferior to them. Women are trying to find a way to not let the degradation effect them or take away their pride as an individual. Women are marked this way, because they are seen as weak and categorize as unfit to uphold important “male figured” roles. A statistic shown in gender disparity from the Heart of Leadership website, that only “three percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women”. Since women are being marked inadequate, because of their femininity. It’s hard for society to recognize that women are just as powerful as men and can make vital

decisions.
Now some may say, that men are overpowering and the most reliable when it comes to making “tough decisions”. For instance, in “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen, “Nora! The same little featherhead!” (Act 1). The relationship between Torvald and Nora are not equally balance. Torvald makes it obviously known that women couldn’t “boss” him around (it’ll make him look bad). But near the ending of the play. Nora breaks through society’s expectations of women, by leaving her husband and speaking up for her independence.
As society becomes more aware about morals and equal rights; women are still receiving judgment for being themselves. There’s no way women can be seen as unmarked, from clothing to social classes (occupations, etc.). Everything that’s “unique” or “creative” is considered “marked”, because it’s different and often drags critical attention. It has reached a point where female adolescents are picking up on the negative behaviors. Either way it goes, the criticism will always categorize women, we are growing up in a society where it’s impossible to judge on another.