Women's Conversation by Deborah Tannen

Deborah Tannen states that the men need the women as much as the women need the men. The strategy in the piece is known as inter independence, which both parties rely on each other. The men are the talkers and need someone to persuade. The women I believe are the listeners and are there for agreement. In this essay Tannen shows the soft yet visible side of how women think as opposed to the men. Her thesis to me is that from all the studies, men are typically more comfortable than women in giving information, opinions and speaking an authoritative way to a group, whereas women are more comfortable than men in supporting others!
This particular piece really grabbed my attention. What grabbed my attention was the comparison between the men and the women. I myself can really relate towards the difference of how men and women respond to different situations. In my English class, the responses of women are more sensitive and vulnerable to the situation. As towards the men, they carry their statements more aggressive and assertive. In this piece there are a lot of things that struck me, that would make me oppose her thesis. The women that I know other than my classmates, can be just as assertive as the men. Tannen believes that women are only there to support. However, women can be both supporting and assertive!