PAPER 1- PARAGRAPH PRACTICE: HOW TO BE A WOMAN

'How are women represented in Text A?'

Text A is a blurb from an opinionated book regarding feminism that represents women as fitting society's stereotypes. According to contemporary society, women are perceived as hysterical and high maintenance. These ideas are explored in the text through the use of verbs: nagging, demands and rant. The connotations of these words are negative, however Caitlin Moran uses these words ironically to create a sarcastic tone that will entertain her audience; thus persuading them to buy her book. This technique allows Caitlin to self-select her audience as in order to understand her wit they'd have to find this sarcastic style entertaining and appreciate the connotations of her language choices.

The use of cultural references to women's history and social norms also allows Cailtin to self-select her audience. For example, one paragraph is dedicated to social references like 'why are we supposed to get Brazillians?' and dates regarding the Suffragette movement; these things may not be common knowledge to everyone but it would be to a specific audience. By using subject-specific lexis, Caitlin is highlighting her desired audience (which in this case is likely to be women or people interested in feminism or how women are portrayed today) and avoids welcoming a broad audience that would be more attracted to the book if it were less niche.

Synthetic personalisation and inclusive pronouns are used to create a conversational tone and fit with the informal register of the text. 'When you're going to have a baby' and 'why does your bra hurt?' are examples of the personal pronoun 'you/your/you're' being used to directly address the reader and make them feel as though they are understood by Caitlin and are able to relate to her. In terms of synthetic personalisation, the use of the pronoun 'we' connotes team work and this relates to the topic of the book as it's about women sticking together and 'demanding' answers to 'nagging' questions. If the audience feels included in the text or well-acquainted with Caitlin then they're likely to buy the book as it feels personal to them.