Stephen Gould’s purpose in the essay,Β Women’s Brains is to refute the scientific findings of researcher Paul Broca and his colleagues and apprentices. His main idea is that, while Broca’s numbers are not faulty, the research is not complete and therefore the conclusions made on the foundation of this research are unsound. He then goes on to explain why and modify the statistics to fit best to the goal of the experiment.
As a rhetorical strategy, Gould uses pathos to argue against Broca’s conclusions. For example, after citing a quote written in a work by a colleague and co-leader in the experiment called LeBon, Stephen Gould sarcastically writes, “Sound familiar?” this implies perhaps a copying of someone else’s work most likely written by some other prejudiced male of the Caucasian color. This is meant to degrade the reader’s view of Broca, as well as the group he worked with, to someone who makes assumptions, copies other’s work, and takes credit when it is not due to him, or anyone.
I agree with Gould’s point in the essay. While this may be impartial of me, I do lean toward his point of view myself being a woman and all, and therefore an advocate for equal rights for both sexes. I know I am smart and intellectually equal to both the boys and girls in my grade and I know that both groups would equal the other in the same area.
California Creative Writer 