Structure and tone

In this part of the study guide, we will focus on the structure of “Teach girls bravery, not perfection” by Reshma Saujani and the speaker’s tone.

Structure

Reshma Saujani’s TED talk follows a traditional structure.

Introduction

The speaker begins her speech directly, with an opening anecdote about herself:

So a few years ago, I did something really brave, or some would say really stupid. I ran for Congress. For years, I had existed safely behind the scenes in politics as a fundraiser, as an organizer, but in my heart, I always wanted to run. (ll. 1-3)

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Main body

After introducing herself and her topic to the audience, the speaker uses the main body of her speech to present her views openly and argue for them using her own experiences and fact-based evidence.

The speaker’s argument is that women are underrepresented professionally because they are taught to be cautious, striving only for perfection, instead of taking risks and accepting challenges and failures:

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Conclusion

In the conclusion of the speech, Saujani appeals to the audience to take action to encourage girls and women to give up striving for perfection and learn how to be brave and take risks: “We have to begin to undo the...

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Speaker’s Tone

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