Style Exercise #7

            The text of “Feminine” can be interpreted by the reader as feminine in many ways, although the text’s interpretation of femininity is somewhat outdated.  The first detail that I noted as feminine was the physical description that the narrator gives herself, “….my little cretonne summer dress that my little dressmaker who makes things specially cheap for me….” Also the diction of the text portrays inner dialogue that a woman would say, as opposed to a man, in many instances, such as the phrase, “…. the idea of getting alopecia at his age….”  This not only can be defined as feminine diction, but something that could be said by a mother, and since mothers can only be females, this sentence gives the text even more feminine tone.  There are many other instances of feminine diction throughout the text, such as; “…made a fuss…,” and “…terribly squashed…” A lot of the inner dialogue that the narrator displays, I can see, as a reader, being said in reality, and not just in text, by a woman.  Another example of femininity I see in the text is the rhetorical use of italics; “…I’m sure Adam must have written up this new fashion….”  As a reader I can see a woman saying this, stressing the word “Adam.”  Also femininity shows itself throughout the text in the way in which the narrator defines herself as feminine by talking, in a contrasting manner, about men, in some places, such as; “…. Some of my friends claim that if one part of a man’s body….” and, “…. this gentlemanly creature….” and, “…He must be shy….”

            The concept of femininity is somewhat outdated in some places throughout the text.  For example, the narrator defines herself as feminine by saying she wears a dress, although in modern times many women don’t define themselves as women by what they wear.  Also some of the diction seems to stereotype women as meager and frail.  In present day, many women take pride in being equal to men, whether it be in the way they present themselves, or in the way they express themselves with confidence and with powerful diction, for example, in the work force.  Women now want to define themselves as equal to men, in diction and in the way they present themselves.

            The text of “Feminine” differs from the text of “Notation” in more ways than it is similar to it.  For one, the sentences in “Feminine” are more complex.  There is more detail in “Feminine,” and the aspect of first person of the narrator plays more of a role in “Feminine” than it does in “Notation.”  There is more of a presence of the thoughts and inner dialogue of the narrator in “Feminine” than the actual narration of events, as opposed to “Notation,” where there is more of a narration of events.  The text of “Feminine” defines itself as feminine because of the thoughts of the narrator, while “Notation” defines itself by just displaying raw facts and narration, in a style of simple reporting.