The Plain Style in the Seventeenth Century: Gender and the History of Scientific Discourse

Denise Tillery University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Abstract

This article analyzes the statements on plain style made by Royal Society writers and seventeenth-century women writers. Using scholarship in feminist rhetorical theory, the article concludes that Royal Society plain stylists constructed scientific discourse as a masculine form of discourse by purging elements that were associated with femininity, such as emotional appeals. The article also discusses how women writers, particularly Margaret Cavendish, embraced a plain style more out of concern for their audience than out of a desire to eliminate undesirable feminine attributes. The implications of this historical study for understanding of current practice are noted.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2005-07-01
DOI
10.2190/mrqq-k2u6-ltqu-0x56
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (9)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Rhetoric Review
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 9 →
  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 13 View in citation network →