Decoding the Undecoded: Sexist Ideology in Sherry Argov’s Why Men Love Bitches?

Abstract

This paper explores the various strategies of sexism employed by Sherry Argov, the author of the best- selling narrative “Why men love bitches?”: From Doormat to Dream girl- A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship, that was sold and published across the globe in more than thirty languages. The book schools women on ways to succeed in their relationship with men. It appears to empower women to be in control of their lives. The writer employs the term “Bitch” throughout the whole book as an ideal positive symbol of strength that all females should strive to be like. The study aims to analyze the language used to address, describe and guide women. It hypothesizes that women are devalued and negatively represented. The language used is not as it seems to be to authorize women but rather to degrade and humiliate them. It investigates the semantic, lexical and rhetorical strategies that are utilized in the narrative to underpin the hidden ideology. For the data analysis, the paper follows an eclectic approach that applies the theories of Mills’ model of sexism (2008), Feminist Critical discourse analysis developed by Lazar (2005) and the connotations of words and presupposition as introduced by Yule (1996). The study reveals some conclusions that validate the hypotheses. It shows that writers can intentionally choose words of their choice that carry covert meanings to impact readers’ perception. Women should pay more attention to word choices rather than simply accepting what is written as it is.