Ursula Le Guin is a master wordsmith, so its not surprising that much of "A Left-Handed Commencement" focuses on the differences between the language of men and women. Not literally, of course, because it's still American English, but in terms of subject matter and word choice.
And she uses this theory to expound upon her main point: that women are not men, and it's about time they figured out how to do things their own way in a predominantly male-centered society. Her "rare chance" to give an address in the "language of women" was a great place to start.
Questions About Language and Communication
- Le Guin begins by talking about speaking in the language of women. What does she mean by that?
- Is public speaking inherently male? What about our history implies that it is? What does Le Guin think?
- Le Guin seems to think that there are definite differences between what men and women wish to talk about, and how they do so, as well. What are some examples of Le Guin's idea of gendered topics?
- Are women the Greek in her example, or the foreigner? Does her quote even work that way?
Chew on This
Le Guin wants to speak in the language of women, but she's still mimicking male tradition by giving a commencement address.
The men in the audience were flummoxed. "What is this language she's speaking in?" they asked themselves. Without a clue as to how to interpret her words, they spent the rest of their time in confused silence.