The subject of Dave Barry’s essay Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is that men and women, by nature,
are very different. Barry illustrates the difference between men and women by showing something that women
notice right on the spot and something that males are completely oblivious to. He writes about how women can notice a speck of dirt while men can’t see filthiness unless it is growing live bacteria. He used the example
of his wife asking him to clean their son’s bathroom, he thought he cleaned it but to the wife it was still filthy.
To him, a quick swipe with Windex was all it took to clean a bathroom. However, his wife, like most women,
knows it takes elbow grease and loads of Clorox to clean a bathroom. He also writes about an occasion
when he and his wife went to a friend’s house and all the males were desperate to watch the game but the
women were far more interested in meaningful conversation. Knowing that the game was on, the men could not possibly concentrate on anything else whereas the women were completely oblivious that the game was on.
Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out was written during the 1980’s, 1988 to be exact. The essay’s time
of creation is illustrated by the fact it says “This essay is from Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits (1988). It was also
shown by the male’s interest in the World Series. Baseball is still big today, but it was a much bigger deal in
the 80’s and early 90’s. When they are at their friend’s house, they are desperate to watch the game.
The probable place of the essay’s creation is probably a well-known capital of baseball, such as Boston.
Dave Barry’s specific audience for Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is males and females that
have to deal with each other’s capabilities and likes. The author’s target audience is shown with the opening sentence, “The primary difference between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities
of dirt.” It goes on to talk about how men and women differ. The opening sentence just teases the reader
and is just a broad statement about the difference between men and women.
Dave Barry’s purpose in Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is to show how men and women are
not only different but also how frustrating these differences can be. He mentions the perfected look he gets
from his wife when she does not approve of what he has done. All women have a perfected look they give the opposite sex when they are unhappy with them. Men tend to understand this look without even hearing the
words. This article not only shows the divide between men and women it also puts each sex on a team.
Guys stick together, girls stick together.
Dave Barry, who The New York Times has called “the funniest man in America”, believes that men
and women start out life believing the same things. However, he decidedly believes that somewhere in the
growth process of humans, men and women separate. This value is illustrated by broad stories that allow the
reader to think of a time when this has happened to them. Barry’s use of imagery is evident in the part where
he talks about Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart”. He uses this imagery to show the reader how
important it was for the men to watch the World Series. The thoughts of the game pounded in their heads
and took all their thoughts. Therefore, they were unable to participate in any kind of conversation with the
women.
Dave Barry exhibits a humorous and enjoyable attitude in writing about the differences in men and
women in Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out. These attitudes are expressed in his word choice. He uses
phrases like “men don’t generally notice it (dirt) until it forms clumps large enough to support agriculture.”
When speaking of women he says women notice dirt at “the level of molecules.” Further showing the
differences in men and women in a humorous way is how Barry views his important activity as “doing an
important project on the Etch-a-Sketch.” Women would think cleaning the house was way more important
than that!
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