“What I’ve Learned from Men"

May 31, 2011

“What I’ve Learned from Men” Response Questions

1. What is the tone (see definition below) of the opening paragraph? What does the tone of

Ehrenreich’s first paragraph suggest we can expect in the rest of the essay?

Her tone throughout the essay is kind of sarcasim towards men thinking they have it so easy, and throughout the rest of the essay the tone starts to state more confidence like a man.

1.      Ehrenreich contrasts “being tough” and “being ladylike.” What are the attitudes and behaviors that she associates with these opposing ways of being?

When Ehrenreich was at the international conference and she was disgusted with one of the guys she held in her self-esteem and kept her lady like appearance during that conference and acted like a lady she said.  She held everything in when she could have gone off at the man at the conference.  When she is being tough she goes back to how a man is always tough why can’t a woman be tough.  She becomes confident.

2.      According to Ehrenreich, why are women reluctant to exert power?

Ehrenreich thinks it is a man’s job to exert power, like she said when a woman is mad we get aggravated and when a man is mad they punch holes in their desks.  She has always though it’s a mans job and women hold everything back.

4. Why do you think Ehrenreich shares the story of her encounter with the “prestigious

professor” in paragraph 3?

Ehrenreich shares that story, because I believe she is showing her point how woman are scared to stand up for themselves because they always want to be the “nice ones”  well there is a time and place for that but I think she is saying she should have stood up for herself instead of letting him walk all over her self-esteem.

5.Why do you think she “reruns” the scene with the professor to conclude her essay? What does the “do-over” or mulligan allow her to accomplish?

I believe she ruruns the scen, because she wants to be able to stand up for herself.  I think that she reruns it so she knows what she should have done or what she should do if this situation ever occurs again.  She is preparing herself to stick up for herself in the future.

ESSAY

Something I regret that happened last year is missing my first turkey.  I have never been turkey hunting and I decided that is something I wanted to try and become involved with.  So I have shot a shot gun many times, shooting clay pigeons and shooting out in the fields and so on.  I would say I was okay, but maybe not that comfortable at aiming at a small spot.  Well the shot gun I was using the shell that the gun uses has a bunch of bb’s in it  so for example when you are duck hunting it’s a wider spread of bb’s to hit the duck.   So I am working at this point, I am in school, and there is limited time I can actually go hunting and have practice shooting.  So opening day my boyfriend and I head out to the spot to go hunting.  We walk what seems like forever, but finally get to our spot and set the blind up and our decoys and begin to wait.   Six O’clock rolls around and you start begin hearing the turkeys.  So we have been there for about an hour and a half, not to mention we have to get up at least by four A.M. so we can get a draw and get our spot for turkey hunting.  It’s hard to get out of bed that early and it being somewhat chilly in the morning, but you have to be motivated and ready to go or my boyfriend would go without me!  A little before six we see some hens come out no Tom’s, we had seen a couple does walk around, but still no Tom’s.  So we wait, all of a sudden two huge Tom’s come strutting out of the woods.  They are to the right of our blind about 40 yards out.  My boyfriend begins calling them in closer to our blind.  At this point he’s saying get your gun ready.  I am shaking with adrenal out of control and so excited at the same time.  Not only is there just one Tom but two right next to each other which gives us a chance to both get one.  We get out guns ready and at this point they are about 20 to 25 yards next to us.  There is this little bitty tree kind of in my way maybe an inch or two round and I’m nervous as it is and I’m lined up with the turkey, but I was shaking at the same time and my boyfriend whispers are you ready are you ready? So I’m on the turkey but this tree is separating the head and the body from what I am seeing and all I need to aim for is the neck.  So I say yes and we both shoot.  He gets his turkey and I’m looking to see if I get mine and at this point I didn’t and I could have shot at it again not even thinking.  There was so much commotion I was just pumped with adrenal I just sort of paused.  At this point he was so excited and so I was I, but I was so mad and upset I missed it.  It was such a good opportunity and would have been a great memory if we both would have shot them together on opening day.  It was something I have regretted every since.

      If I could have that day over and redo what I missed, I would.  I would start by making time to practice at a target with a turkey on it to get a better feel for the gun, and to get my aim more on point.  Also in the blind I would have made the point clear I wasn’t ready to shoot yet, because of that small tree, instead of being nervous and excited I would have kept my wits so I could concentrate to have a better shot at the turkey.  So this year I have been duck hunting and shot ducks this year and I was confident with my gun and aiming that I was so ready to go turkey hunting this year, but since it flooded where we go was underwater and there wasn’t a place to go.  Also the season isn’t in that long so there wasn’t a chance to go.  I will have more time to practice and get a better aim as I wait for next season!