I have mixed feelings about Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. I found our discussion in class to be interesting I shared many of the same viewpoints my classmates did like was he bashing men's and women's way of thinking, or women just because he hated them, or was it because he was trying to raise changes in the society that he was living in?
When reading Bierce's dictionary, I did not take offense to some of the definitions aimed directly at women. Actually in some parts I found it to be humorous. Readers need to remember that Bierce did not write the dictionary all at one time and what he wrote in the dictionary is how he felt at the particular time. I found it interesting that Ambrose Bierce wanted the title The Cynic’s Word Book not the Devil’s Dictionary. This tells me he didn't want his dictionary to be looked as devilish but as what is society doing.
I agree with Erin Manko and Trisha Wehrle that although Bierce seemed to target women negatively in his article, that is how society is and he was just making a point. If you take the dictionary personally than you would say that he criticized women and African Americans too harshly instead maybe look at it as Bierce criticizing society and ridiculous norms.