Bitch Summary

In her piece titled bitch Gross chronicles the use of the word “bitch” and the evolution of its connotative meanings towards women. She points out that although the word may have begun as a substitute for a female dog, it is now used loosely to describe a woman who jeopardizes a man’s ego. Gross provides examples through seven specific cases where a woman is dubbed “bitch” by a man. Her examples cover cases in politics, literature, pop culture, etc. It is because of her anecdotal arsenal that we are able to see Gross’s frustration with men. Ultimately, to Gross, it is unjust for men to treat women with such disdain, however, women should not be hindered by it.

I understand why this issue upsets Gross, but I think she is exaggerating. It seems that she is generalizing too much. Not all men think women are bitches, or are threatened by them (although many are). Personally, I use the word bitch to describe women who are cold and callous.

One aspect I found interesting is how she talks about women in power receiving the “bitch” name tag. From personal experience in the work force I can confidently say that nearly all the women in power fit my description as “bitch”. This is not because I felt threatened by them (they were already higher rank than I was), but because of how insensitive they were. I do think, however, that women have to act a certain way to gain positions of power. Overall I agree that women can be frustrated with the word “bitch”, but I don’t think a man’s ego is to blame.