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Analysis of But What Do You Mean

 

            
             Tannen conveys her purpose through a simple, yet complete thesis statement. It isn't incredibly long and thorough, but short and sweet and to the point. "Here, the biggest areas of miscommunication." As the reader can tell, Tannen wishes to express to the reader, what problems take place with communication between men and women. When expressing her points of miscommunication to the audience, her audience seems to be people who struggle with life and communication themselves. She speaks in a non-patronizing tone, treating the reader as if they know what the problems are and she is trying to help them get through them. .
             The first topic of apologies is what Tannen begins the essay with to express the starting differences between men and women and how they communicate. She begins with how women apologize too much and when men apologize, it seems to them to be the same as putting oneself down. And she expresses how most of the time "I"m sorry" isn't even used when people are apologizing for things. .
             Tannen also uses the style of comparing and contrasting between the men and the women's communication throughout the essay. To express her main purpose, the contrast between the two groups is more evident than the comparing. The contrast between the two engages the reader more as to see how differently the men and women have developed into communicating the way that they do. .
             Using characters throughout the essay, also helps the development of Tannen's essay. Tannen introduces twenty-three different characters throughout the essay, which helps the reader understand that men and women really do act the way that she is portraying them to in the essay. Her first example of Helen, the women who likes to apologize, will use apologizes when they are irrelevant and is not needed. Tannen explains that everyone uses apologies too much; however, the only reason that Helen's stood out above the rest is because she was the only one in the room making them.


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