"Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out"- SOAPSTone

The subject of Dave Barry's "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is the social differences between men and women. This invisible wall that divides the two genders is illustrated by him saying that women can "see extremely small quantities of dirt". This points out his main point that women care more about neatness than men. He goes on to explain how men are more passionate about sports and television.

"Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" was writing in the late 20th century/21st century. The essay’s time of creation is displayed by the presence of the World Series and the view of Poe's writing as being classic. He also mentions some products, such as Windex, that are relatively modern. The probable place of the essay’s creation is America. This is because of the importance of baseball and the interactions between men and women. Clearly, the men and women are equals in society and many American products are present in the story.

The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay in his tone. His sarcasm throughout the essay and the external conflict with his wife would not be as entertaining if he had written the essay in bland language or without a sense of humor. By adding in some comic relief, Barry lightened the subject matter. When Barry jokes, “I just Windexed...and she's seeing dirt everywhere!” This shows that he doesn't understand why women think the way they do.

Dave Barry’s specific audience for "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is married women. This is shown through his in depth analysis of why men feel the way they do about sports v. cleaning. The conflict in his marriage is common in many other marriages, so his article can be used to explain to women what men actually think about different topics.

The author’s general audience for the essay is all American adults.  The author’s general audience is communicated as Barry makes many references to American culture and the relationship between him and his wife. He even goes so far as to say, “...We males could not focus our attention on the various suggested topics because we could actually feel the World Series television and radio broadcast.” This proves that the audience is American adults because they understand conflict in male-female relationships and the importance of the World Series to many American men.

Barry’s purpose in "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is to communicate to all married Americans that communication can be difficult in relationships because of differing priorities of different genders. This message is explained when Barry reflects on the different genders' reactions to each other's actions. 

Dave Barry believes that relationships require effort. This value is illustrated by his repeated attempts at pleasing his wife. Although he was unsuccessful in these attempts and only gave a partial effort in some of his actions, Barry, clearly, wished to maintain their relationship. He included this value to show to even though men and women have many differences, it is important to work through them. This ties into his purpose because it communicates the idea of differences in genders even further. The author’s use of imagery when explaining the "lack of filth" in his house showed how different things looked from his perspective versus from his wife's perspective. 

Barry exhibits a humorous, lighthearted tone about the differences in genders in "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out". These attitudes are expressed as Barry jokes about his and his wife's actions in multiple scenarios. These jokes show that he has serious beliefs about their differences, but believes in looking at them with a positive perspective.