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CHAPTER 2 Strategies for Successful Reading
Orienting Your Reading
Activity Answers (p. 20)
Several answers are possible. If students read the essay for pleasure, they may read it quickly and stop
reading if it becomes uninteresting. Students may read the essay as part of a larger research project on
being “male.” In this case, they would want to take careful notes on Gross’s definition and on specific
examples. If students are reading to write a critique, they may read with careful attention to possible
objections to Amy Gross’s argument.
A First Reading
Activity Answers (p. 21)
Student answers may vary.
1. Since Amy Gross has a degree in sociology, she has some of the tools to examine the topic; but
she is not an expert in psychology so her views may not be solid. Given the kinds of women’s
magazines for which she has written, it is likely that she will write from a woman’s perspective
but not necessarily with a strongly feminist slant.
2. Clearly the essay is going to define a type of man, in this case one who is both male and female.
The focus is also going to be on identifying ways that this type of man appeals to Amy Gross.
3. Amy Gross compares the macho male (defined as one who sticks to clichéd male roles) with the
androgynous male (defined as one who is willing to tackle male and female aspects of life). She
believes the androgynous male is more creative, more sensitive, and a better companion. Her
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thesis seems unclear, but it seems to say that the androgynous man has the characteristics of both
male and female and as a result is a better companion for women. Much of her essay seems to be
a comparison between the all-man and the androgynous man. A fundamental question or
objection is whether she is exaggerating and/or stereotyping.
Mastering Reading Problems
Activity Answers (p. 24)
Student answers may vary.
1. (p. 24) All-male = imperialistic, superhuman; androgynous man is not as imperialistic (p. 24).
All-males are hard to talk to since they have different interests. But can’t a woman cultivate wider
interests? Can’t a woman be androgynous?
2. Thesis: Androgynous males, not hermaphrodites, are more than all-males and include the
characteristics of men and women. As a result, they are “appealing” to women.
Androgynous male
Doesn’t resist the feminine and engages in so-called feminine activities
Less imperialistic and doesn’t act superhuman
Broader interests than the all-male
Creative males score higher on femininity, which indicates an openness to feeling and emotion
Supports welfare of others, group harmony, but also supports his position
Shares and invites, doesn’t conquer
All-male
Has no interest in traditional non-male activities, such as clothes shopping, and has no taste in the
arts, books, movies, etc.; resists anything feminine
Even when educated and well mannered can be imperialistic and act superhuman
Interests tend to be exclusively male and different from the author’s interests
Less creative and imaginative and less intelligent, confirmed by a Stanford psychology
professor’s study
Studies show all-males to be less supportive and less able to “express warmth, playfulness, and
concern”
Treats female partners as competition and opportunity to perform
It might be useful to discuss with the class how some of the comparisons are implied rather than
detailed and why.
3. Students may choose many words. Beret is a kind of flat cap worn by the French and often
symbolizes being cultured. Accessorize means to add items—such as shoes, jewelry, bags—to the
dominant outfit. Imperialistic may mean to take control and be dominating.
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Reading to Critique
Activity Answers (p. 24)
Student answers may vary.
1. The author seems to stereotype men. Few men seem to be either the all-male or the androgynous
man. Most men seem to be mixtures of the two. A man can like football and still cook, be
competitive at work and still be a partner to a woman.
2. She claims consistently that the all-male is less appealing, but none of her evidence actually
supports this claim.
3. She claims that jocks treat sexual relations as another form of competition. Surely this is not true
of most athletes. She presents no evidence to support this claim.
4. It seems that many masculine men have successful relationships. This would suggest that they are
not as helpless as the author suggests.
5. The author seems to be involved in an either/or fallacy. She casts men as either all-male or
androgynous. Clearly most real men are complex mixtures of many ways of acting in many
different situations.
Reading as a Writer
Activity Answers (p. 28)
Student answers may vary.
1. The use of a comparison to define a concept. The essay combined personal observations and
actual research.
2. “I like polarity myself, but the poles have to be within earshot.” I didn’t think writing could be
humorous while making a serious point. “If your image of the creative male accessorizes him
with a beret, smock, and artist’s palette, you will not believe the all-man man has been seriously
short-changed.” I like the way the use of detail really makes the sentence vivid.
3. There are a lot of ideas here: how men treat women on dates, whether men and women live in
different universes, what it takes to be creative.
Classroom Activities
Ask students to review a controversial essay in small groups. Have them identify the writer’s main claims
and their support, note any weakness in either, and list possible objections to the views expressed. The
whole class can then discuss whether the writer’s position is valid.
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Teaching Strategy
You might have students interact with the remaining pages of Gross’s essay in a fashion similar to the
student reactions on the first page.
Classroom Activities
As a follow-up to the teaching strategy above, divide students into small groups and ask them to compare
their reactions to the essay. A short writing assignment could follow.
Suggested Instructor Readings
Spellmeyer, K. “A Common Ground: The Essay in the Academy.” College English 51 (1989): 262–75.
Offers an excellent defense of the importance of having students read essays critically
