“WHO’S HARASSING WHOM?”

WRITTEN BY: MARIANNA M. JENNINGS

Jay AngusElla Blowers

Matt KuberskiMaegen Prieur

Essay Summary

Thesis“I resent more than the lack of attention the

assumption underlying the rules and court decisions governing sexual harassment:”

“That I am incapable of handling unwanted sexual suggestion.”

(page 1, par. 2)

“I resent the women who bring sexual harassment suits and convince courts that we are helpless and victimized…”

(page 2, par. 1)

-Defense

-Drunken Sailors

“How innocent are the victims of harassment anyways?”

(page 2, par. 4)

-Poor decisions

-Put up with it

“…their working environment is hostile doesn’t jibe with their own decision to remain…”

(page 2, par. 5)

-Multimillion dollar verdicts

“The most damaging result of sexual-harassment law is the chilling effect it has on men in our workplace.”

(page 3, par. 1)“The fear is justified.”(page 3, par. 2)

-Fear of “one-on-one” counseling

-Swift, decisive, one-sided

“They are certainly not harassers, but they can no longer risk being my friends or mentors.”

(page 3, par. 3)

-Possess tools for handling

-“Dear sisters, we have met the enemy and she is us.”

(page 3, par. 3)

-Indirectly talking to men in the workplace

-Tells audience that their behavior needs to change

Audience

Weaknesses-Jennings is too absolute in assumptions about

victims of sexual harassment.-Are there really no innocent victims?

-Overexaggerates the fact that men can “no longer risk being my friends”

(page 3, par. 4)-Does she really have no male friends at work?

-Good balance of the three appeals, including their overlap

-Good range of diction-professional: “gender stratification”-informal: “roll in the hay”

-Strong closing-addresses audience directly and proposes change

Strengths

Incorporation of the Three Appeals

Logos: “divine words”-logic

Ethos: “ethics”-character

Pathos: “suffering”, “sympathy”, “empathy”-emotions

Examples of the Appeals“I resent the women who bring sexual harassment suits and convince courts that we are helpless and victimized as Melanie Wilkes in ‘Gone With the Wind’.”

(page 2, par. 2)

-Ethos-Logos-Pathos

Examples of the Appeals“But who’s harassing whom when I’m forced to attend ‘sensitivity training’ seminars and reveal my personal feelings to coworkers.”

(page 2, par. 4)

-Ethos

-Pathos

Examples of the Appeals“I can’t handle the advance of knuckleheads.”

(page 2, par. 1)

“Sounds to me like they were just after a roll in the hay.”

(page 3, par. 1)

-Ethos

Examples of the Appeals

“Working women today can’t handle a boor in wing tips and bifocals.”

(page 2, par. 2)

-Pathos

Examples of the Appeals

“Women define what’s repulsive, stay in it and then file and win multimillion-dollar verdicts, which in many cases exceed the amounts awarded to children crippled in horrific accidents.”

(page 2, par. 6)

-Ethos

-Pathos

-Logos

Examples of the AppealsIn paragraph five, she uses a specific example of a type of anti-harassment seminar that was used at a Fortune 500 company.

(page 2, par. 4)

-Logos

Examples of the Appeals“An accused rapist, after all, receives better treatment than an accused harasser.”

(page 3, par. 3)

-Ethos-Logos-Pathos

Examples of the Appeals“At the University of Nebraska, a graduate student was even ordered to remove a picture of his bikini-clad wife.”

(page 3, par. 2)

-Logos

-Pathos

Examples of the AppealsThe author includes an example from a specific source: Journal of Business Ethics.

(page 2, par. 6)

-Logos

Examples of the Appeals“The assumption underlying the rules and court decisions governing sexual harassment: that I am incapable of handling unwanted sexual suggestion.”

(page 1, par. 2)

-Ethos

-Pathos

Examples of the Appeals

“Nearly 30 years in the workplace, and not once have I been sexually harassed.”

(page 1, par. 1)

` “My employer trusts me with budgeting, lobbying, fund-raising and shaping the minds of the next generation.”

(page 1, par. 2)

-Ethos

Examples of the Appeals

In the final paragraph of the essay, Jennings concludes by restating her position through strong terse statements. She also directly addresses the audience in the final sentence.

(page 3, par. 4)

-Pathos-Ethos

-Successful argument-controversial topic-use of appeals to gain support

-Strong, obvious thesis

-Appropriate length

Conclusion

Citation Page!Jennings, Marianne. "Who's Harassing

Whom?." Wall Street Journal 06 July 1998, Print.