Style of writing in lines 58-73

Your exam question asks you to focus on the style of writing in lines 58-73 from Bibi van der Zee’s article, “A feminist’s guide to raising boys”. The style of writing plays a significant role in how van der Zee engages her audience.

Lines 58-73 present van der Zee’s admission of being guilty of “unconscious bias”, as well as an example that proves how gender biases are still present in today’s society, especially when it comes to children.

The style of writing in lines 58-73 is mostly informal. The language is easy to understand and the sentences are clear and easy to follow, which allows the audience to remain focused on the message that the writer is trying to convey. We also have informal, made-up expressions such as “mad-good” (l. 58) or “boy-ness” (l. 62). The use of the curse word “bloody” (l. 69) adds intensity ...