Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

Montell maintains that the English lexicon demonstrates sexist bias against women. How does she analyze this phenomenon? What other examples, if any, can you think of that were not covered in the text? Do they illustrate or modify Montell’s argument in any way?

How does Wordslut explore the way languages evolve and change over time? In what ways, if any, has English become less sexist, and in what ways does it maintain vestiges of gender bias? What solutions could be used for “de-biasing” the language, apart from the ones Montell recommends?

Montell argues that a “double bind” affects how women are perceived in public life. Compare and contrast a public speech from a major male public figure with a speech from a major female public figure using Montell’s analytical lens. How are the two speeches different or similar in terms of vocabulary, rhetorical techniques, and/or self-presentation? In what ways do they conform to, or diverge from, Montell’s analysis of the “double bind”?