A quote from Tannen’s piece that really stood out to me was “there is no unmarked woman.” (Tannen 556). I completely agree with this statement. While men can be marked too, the extremity to which women are marked in society doesn’t compare. Women are sexualized, categorized, and objectified by what they wear, what they look like, and how they act. Even if you say you don’t categorize people on how they look, act, etc., then you are lying because our society has shaped us to do it unconsciously. Especially to women. Personally, I do believe that there is such a thing as an unmarked man. Society has shaped us to be egocentric and when a man falls into our own personal stereotype-looking category, then we don’t think anything of them. On the other hand, there is no standard-looking category for women. Anything that a woman wears says something about her that makes us judge her right away, consciously and unconsciously. I believe that as time has gone on since this piece was published, we have learned to “mark” people more often. A variable that I think plays a much more significant role in our lives nowadays is sexual orientation (for both men and women). Through sexual orientation, people can be grouped into many different categories, this automatically gives them a label whether they want it or not. Overall, while Tannen’s piece gives the concept of “marking” a negative connotation, does that mean that it always has to be a negative thing?
While only a few chapters into, "The Great Gatsby", a distinct symbol that has been presented multiple times, is the green light. At the end of chapter 1, we saw the green light as Nick spotted Gatsby, and later on, we see it again. "Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been at the end of a dock" (Fitzgerald 21). This quote signifies how the green light has multiple meanings behind it. The green light represents Gatsby's undying love for daisy, the American dream, and wealth. Since the quote explains that the green light is on a dock, us readers can infer that this dock is daisy's house and with Gatsby staring at it, it shows his strong love for her. The green light also represents the American dream and wealth. This green light is not exactly tangible for Gatsby. Although Gatsby has seemed to achieved the American dream through his wealth, he did not do it the right way....
I agree that everyone places judgements on others, even if they do it unconsciously. It's unfortunate that society puts so much importance on physical appearance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement as well, and it’s a good point to mention that there is no standard-looking category for women. Even if a woman were to try to dress completely unmarked, that would say something about her and she would get judged for it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you took Tannen's claim and analyzed it for yourself in today's society. Personally, I believe that nobody can go unmarked. It may seem like some people are unmarked but that's only one person's perspective and if you look at it through a different lens I am confident that there is something that is marked about that person. I like how you ended with a question. Marking could be a positive thing, it just depends on how it is interpreted. Good job Sawyer.
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