Lindsay Fischer
Period 3
September 20, 2012
Discourse Analysis
Women have always been seen as the care-takers or nurturers in the world. In order to fulfill this
role, they constantly feel the need to comfort one another, share similar experiences, and use discourse
as a means for connection. Women are naturally an emotional breed because it is ingrained in their
heads and part of their natural instinct. The reports of Deborah Tannen pertaining to rapport talk and
women's conversational tendencies adroitly reflect casual female exchanges.
The sun peaked over the mountain tops creating vibrant ribbons of color across the Arizona sky.
My watch read 5:30 AM as our feet pounded softly in the desert sand. It was your everyday, average
cross country warm-up run. Our normal pack of high school senior girls ran together: Me, Karen, Ellie
and Caitlyn. Tannen often brings up the fact that girls like to talk in private or small groups as shown
here (“You Just Don't” 111). Since we are all excellent students, school comes up quite frequently in
our conversations. This time, Ellie and Caitlyn expressed their worries about their AP Biology class.
Ellie starts, “Ugh, I thought I did so bad on Mrs. Schramm's last test, but I actually did pretty well”.
Caitlyn told Ellie how nervous she was about her large amount of make-up work she had. Ellie
reassured her repeatedly and offered to help catch her up.
This conversation acutely alines with the findings of Tannen on rapport talk. Women thrive on
personal connections. So, they search for occurrences that can link them together to create a bond
(“You Just Don't” 111). The discourse began with Ellie commenting about a test in her AP Biology
class and almost immediately Caitlyn solidified their connection by her similar feelings toward the test
she was about to take. After offering to let Caitlyn borrow her notes, Ellie adds, “You'll do fine as long
as you study.” Her words along with a warm smile visibly released some of the tension in Caitlyn's
face. Tannen explains, “For women . . . intimacy is the fabric of relationships, and talk is the thread
from which it is woven . . . . women regard conversation as the cornerstone of friendship” (“Sex,
Lies”). Tannen's studies almost seemed as if they were cast from this conversation.
Deborah Tannen's research is accurate and very relevant in daily discourse. Ellie and Caitlyn's
conversation conveyed their close friendship based on their genuine concern for each other. Her studies
show the foundation for female friendships and expands on the inter-workings of this complex
relationship.
Works Cited
Tannen, Deborah. “Sex, Lies and Conversation; Why Is It So Hard for Men and Women to Talk to Each
Other”. The Washington Post. William Morrow, 24 Jun. 1990. Web. 17 Sep. 2012.
- - - . “You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation”. Social Interaction
Everyday Life. William Morrow & Company, 1990. 110-115. Print.
Summary
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