Do NOT use the words logos, pathos and ethos in the essay. If you need some help, there are ten million rhetorical analysis essays online, even samples from this exact prompt. Fake it till you make it is not a bad strategy. HOWEVER, if you cut and paste an essay into this blog, you will flunk for the quarter, so while it is okay to look at some samples to get an idea of what you should aiming for, do not cheat. If you cheat in college you get kicked out, and this is a college class. So, proceed with caution.
After her escape from slavery, Sojourner Truth became a vocal supporter of the abolitionist movement and the feminist movement. In 1851, Truth attended the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Hhio, where a group of men monopolized the audience with biblical evidence for keeping women subservient. Truth, who had not planned to speak, felt compelled to respond. She stood and gave the following speech. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Sojourner Truth makes to convey her message that women should have more rights.
Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?
That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?
Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?
Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.
If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say. [1]
Sojourner Truth broke free from slavery, and then expressed her backing of the
ReplyDeleteabolitionist and feminist movement. This speech was given at a Women's Rights Convention in 1851, and she actually was not supposed to speak at this event. She felt the need to speak after men used religious points to say that women should remain submissive. She appealed to her audience and strengthened her argument by using striking contrast and religious beliefs.
She utilized noticeable differences in society to make her point. A quote from this speech
that makes this evident is, “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?” This shows how hypocritical one of the men’s speech was and how race played into this. She pointed out the fact that she had not had anything handed to her by men due to her skin color, and she was able to accomplish those same things by herself. This proves that women are just as capable with or without a man to help them. Therefore, she used these societal contrasts to enhance her speech.
Another rhetorical choice that was used in this speech to implore the audience was
religion. One quote that demonstrates this tactic is, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!” The men at this event tried to use Biblical text as proof that women should continue to be subservient, so it is extremely significant that she used the story of “The Fall” to prove her point. She is saying that Eve was able to get Adam to eat the fruit; thus, causing original sin, which proves that women are able to make a huge impact in many different ways, good or bad. It shows that since women wanted to help, then they should be able to, because they are just as adequate to cause huge changes as men are. Moreover, religion was employed throughout this address to strengthen her argument.
Sojourner Truth utilized some important rhetorical devices that allowed her to support
her reasoning. These rhetorical tools included religion and societal differences. These also helped her entreat and convince the individuals she was speaking to.
Great analysis! It’s very well written! I love the way that you pointed out the men’s biblical hypocrisy.
DeleteI also love how you pointed out how she used the bible to strengthen her point.
DeleteI liked reading this analysis. I liked how you mentioned that by never being helped by men, it proves that everything Truth did was something that women were fully capable of. Well written!
DeleteSojourner Truth became an advocate for the feminist movement and abolitionist movement after her escape from slavery. She spoke at a convention for Women’s Rights after being compelled to respond to a group of men that tried to use biblical evidence for why women shouldn’t have rights. Truth begins the speech by using shared beliefs and successfully uses emotional appeal. Toward the end of the article she uses shared stories and logic to convince the crowds of her viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteIn her speech, Truth started the speech using the word “children” to address the crowd. She uses this word to make it clear that she is older, and there is a shared belief that older people are wiser and should be respected. This word choice already gives her respect and authority from the crowd. Many times in the passage she also references God and Jesus. She uses the same set of beliefs that the men used to try to convince the audience. The first time she uses Jesus is when she is talking about the loss of her children that were sold into slavery. She explains that Jesus didn’t hear her, so why should they leave it up to him? She also explains that Christ came from a woman and from God, which a man had no part in.
Throughout the speech, Sojourner appeals emotionally to the women who are listening. She starts talking about the children she has had and how they have been taken away from her. She uses a mother’s grief to have the crowd sympathize with her. She also brings up women’s intelligence. She explains that it has nothing to do with women’s rights and even if it didn’t wouldn’t someone help them?
Finally, she uses stories to convince the crowd. She addresses how the men said in their speech that women need to be “helped into carriages and lifted over ditches”. She refutes this by stating that she doesn’t get helped into carriages or given the best place. She then asks the crowd a rhetorical question. “And ain’t I a woman?”, she is proving that women can do all of this. She takes it a step further and explains that she “ploughs fields and gathers barns”, showing her strong arms as evidence. She also states that she works and eats just as much as a man.
This is very well written. I really like how you talked about the way she spoke to the women who were in the audience. I also enjoyed how you talked about the way she opened her speech with the word “children.”
DeleteI liked your analysis, it has great structure. I liked that you clearly restated the prompt in the beginning. Some things that I would advise though, is that you tended to use two tenses. Sometimes you used past tense, and other times you used present tense. Your analysis also seemed to end abruptly. A short paragraph summarizing your analysis might for well there.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your analysis. One part that really caught my attention was the section about Jesus and God. I agree that she used their own argument against them. She really put them in their place. Awesome blog, Elena!
Delete1851 was a difficult time for all women, but even more so for black women. Sojourner Truth was a prominent, outspoken figure of this time period. She had escaped from slavery and became a large supporter of the abolitionist movement. She also had become involved in the feminist movement of the time. In this year, she attended a conference, the Women’s Rights Conference in Akron, Ohio. It was here she delivered a memorable speech.
ReplyDeleteTruth delivered this powerful speech that was aimed toward progressing the idea of rights for all women. She didn’t originally intend on speaking, but a problem arose that caused her to believe she needed to speak up. The problem that prompted Truth to speak out was a group of white males speaking about keeping women subservient. They were using biblical evidence and monopolizing the audience. The purpose of Truth giving this speech was to get in the men’s heads about allowing women’s rights. She felt compelled to stand up for the independence of all women. She spoke directly towards the group of white men who had been monopolizing the conversation, but more indirectly towards all men. She had escaped from slavery, she knew her worth and she knew she deserved independence. She recognized the men were demoralizing the worth and ability of women, and she was not about to sit idly by and listen to it happen. The message of her speech was for the audience to realize that all women, white or black, have value, independence, and their own rights. Women aren’t just there to be a servant, but to be a strong-standing figure among people. She also wanted to remind the men that they always say everyone must help all women, but no one had ever helped her. Every single woman wanted their rights, and she was going to make sure these men knew that.
Throughout her speech, Truth uses repetition to emphasize the strong points of her speech. She asks the question, “Ain’t I a Woman?” four times throughout her speech. Each time she said it, it was after she had said something that proved her strength. She also uses a bit of imagery by just talking about mud-puddles or barns. These items are things that all people can picture immediately. She is saying these words and the men already have an image of a dirty puddle splashing on a skirt, or muddy, wet barn causing a woman to get all dirty. A big part of her speech is using an appeal of practical knowledge. It is clear to every man listening to her that she is a woman, but she continuously asks the question of “Ain’t I a woman?” She also appeals to their feelings of love for their children by speaking of how she had to watch her children get sold into slavery.
Overall, Sojourner Truth wanted these men to recognize that every single woman deserves that chance to have their own rights. She drove them to think that all women are capable of having their own choices. Truth wanted Women’s Rights, and she was never going to let a man walk over them.
This is very well written, and I enjoyed reading it. How many times she asked the question, “Ain’t I a woman?” is probably what caught my attention the most, so I am glad you included that. I do think that there were some things included in the second paragraph that could have just been included in the introduction, such as what compelled her to speak. Overall though, this essay was great.
DeleteGreat analysis! I really loved how you pointed out that she realized she deserved independence and she knew her worth. I also love how you pointed out that she uses imagery in her speech.
DeleteThe first thing I noticed that Isabella "Belle" Baumfree did in her speech was firstly confident in her delivery in her speech. She often repeated herself to get the point across that, “...ain’t I a woman?” She also tries to build on the audience's emotions by telling them about ploughing the fields. “I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns…” Isabella also felt very strongly that she was a credible source to talk about this topic because near the end of the first paragraph she stated, “I have borne thirteen children, and and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when i cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me!” She then asks the audience why they don’t believe why African Americans are not respected and the audience hearing her speak whispers its their, “...intellect.” She then used a metaphor saying, “If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?” She then says that men will often defend themselves by saying, “...cause Christ wasn’t a woman!” That is a very twisted thing to say because people often forget about Mary the mother of Christ because she is a co-redemptrix, she sacrificed her life to be in the service of Christ her son and her savior. She builds on that statement by saying using a reference to the creation story by saying, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!” She then strikes a blow of confidence in the audience by saying, “And now they is asking to do it, the men better not let them.
ReplyDeleteAlex Smith
DeleteA lot of good points were made in your analysis, and I liked your use of quotes. But I would have been nice if you built on those quotes, and explain why they are important.
DeleteYour analysis is good, but I feel like there was not enough explanation about the quotes. You chose good quotes but I think they needed to be explained and discussed. It would have been nice to have more explanation instead of all quotes.
DeleteYour essay was good, however, I agree with Abby and Marcie, as I feel that there wasn’t enough explanation to the quotes and how they relate to the rest of the speech. Other than that, it was a good analysis!
DeleteIt was good but you didn’t focus enough on how she tells the audience she feels and that is how she truly captivates them into realizing what she is saying effects them all, not just women.
DeleteAt a women's rights convention, sojourner truth heard a group of men try to talk the audience into keeping women from their rights. She believed that women should be giving rights, so in response to these men she spoke to the audience trying to get them to understand that women should have rights.
ReplyDeleteTwice she mentioned “that man,” the man that was trying to keep women from their rights. She wasn’t planning to speak at this convention, until she heard this man speak. His speech compelled her to defend women’s rights.
Truth wanted to speak because she believed that if women can work as hard as men can, then they should have the same rights as them. She talked about how hard she had to work as a slave, and was never treated how “that man” said women should be treated. She mentioned how she “ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns.” She was saying that she worked as hard as any other man, and gave birth to thirteen children. She also connected to the Cristian beliefs, saying that when she was grieving, “none but Jesus heard me.”
Since it was “that man” that her speech was responding to, “that man” was who her speech was geared towards. She related to them by talking about Christ, but in a different way. She said that he came “from God and a woman.” She implied that a woman gave birth to Jesus, and only through women, can beautiful children can come into the world. She also mentioned that Mary didn’t need a man to give birth to Jesus.
Sojourner Truth also built trust in what she said. In the beginning of her speech, she addressed the crowd as children, and at the end of her speech, she called herself, “old Sojourner.” These two parts of her speech show that she was old and wise, and has more life experience under her belt.
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DeleteI liked how you linked together the fact that she starts and ends her speech by implicating that she is older than her audience. It reminds her audience both before and after her speech that she is wiser.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading this. I like that you brought up how she spoke about how she was never treated the way these white men were saying women needed to be treated.
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DeleteI like your analysis a lot and I think you made good points. I think that you could have explained why she said the things she said in greater detail.
DeleteI like how you mentioned that she wasn’t really planning on giving the speech until she heard that group of men talking. I also liked how you talked about how she brought in God in her speech.
DeleteThat was an excellent analysis and I liked all the connections that you made and the way you tried to show us her thoughts and not just tell us what she said. It makes you look at it in another way.
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ReplyDeleteA women’s rights convention was being held in Akron, Ohio. All was going well, until some men controlled the convention by saying women should be subservient based on Biblical quotes. Sojourner Truth was a female, and a former slave, attending the conference. Truth felt that she needed to speak up and stop them. In order to prove women and blacks deserve the same rights as men, Truth uses her past experiences and the Bible to show why the men are wrong. Truth begins her speech by calling the men she is addressing as
ReplyDelete“children.” She asserts that she is older, and with her old age she knows more than her audience. This makes Truth someone worth listening to, since she knows something the men do not. Furthermore, by calling her audience children, it reveals that women can also be bold. This proves that women and men are both brave, which the men never realized. This makes her audience show respect for Truth. This also plays on one of Truth’s ideas, which is that men and women both can work equally as well, since she has gained the same respect as a male speaker would. This is further proven as the men never interrupt Truth during her speech. By referring to her audience as children, Truth shows that black women are just as strong as men, and should be treated equal to men.
Truth realizes that her male audience does not treat her as an equal, let
alone a real woman, so she uses her past experiences to prove that they should. Truth first mentions how women are given luxury treatment by stating, “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages...!” She instantly follows this up by saying, “And ain’t I a woman?” Truth uses these quotes to show that segregation goes against the ideas of being a gentleman, which was a strongly-practiced ideology amongst men. If women are segregated, then men of the opposite race will not be bothered to help, which goes against the idea of men being like a gentleman. Truth states that she is also a woman who deserves womanly respect. Truth makes another strong argument by stating, “Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me!...I could work as much and eat as much as a man…and bear the lash as well!” This quote shows that Truth can be just as tough as a man. Truth’s argument shows that men and women are both equally capable, and that women deserve respect. Truth uses her past experiences and intellect to show that women can stand on the same field as men.
Finally, Truth uses her intellect to teach the men on why their biblical
arguments are wrong. She does this by using the same source the men got their arguments from: the Bible. Truth mentions that one of the men stated, “...Women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman!” Truth flips that around by saying, “Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman!” Mary was Jesus’ mother, and she has authority over Jesus. Truth makes the men realize that women play a much more important role in society, and that it is time they get the respect they deserve. Finally, Truth even proves that God wanted women to be strong by stating, “...The first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone…” If women were created strong, then that means they are strong. Truth uses the Bible to show that God gave women the strength to be strong, and all men should respect and treat women as their equals.
Truth uses her experiences and religion to prove why all women,
regardless of race deserve to be treated equally to men. Truth states her age to express that women, regardless of age or race, are just as intelligent and bold as men. Truth also tells the audience of her past experiences as evidence that women are just as tough and hard-working as men. Finally, she uses religion to show why their God thinks women deserve equal rights. Truth showed her audience the truth about the power of women.
Great analysis Tanner! One thing I do disagree on is Truth’s stance on Jesus coming from God and a woman. I don’t think that she thought Mary has authority over Jesus, but that Mary is just as essential to His life as He is to humanity and Jesus treated her with respect and love.
DeleteSojourner Truth was an escaped slave who attended the Women's Rights Convention in 1851. At this convention a group of men gave a speech about keeping women subservient using biblical evidence. Truth, who was not supposed to speak, gave a speech about how women deserve equality and rights just as much as men do. Truth appeals to the audience and proves that women are just as deserving of rights as men with her counterarguments and her own religious proof.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth begins her speech by addressing the audience as “children” to prove her authority, experience, and intelligence. She addresses the mens arguments of women being incapable of simple things like getting into a carriage or over a mud puddle. She says that as a woman herself that has never been done for her. Truth said, “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?” This statement proves the mens argument of women needing assistance wrong. Truth continuously says “And ain’t I a woman?” throughout her speech to show that women of color especially did not get special treatment from men. She used her experiences during slavery to prove that women are not weak. She also brings in the fact that her children were sold off to slavery to make the audience feel sympathy. Her arguments prove to the men that women are capable of doing all the things that men do and therefore show that women deserve rights.
Truth also addresses the men's biblical evidence that women are not equal to men. The men argued that Christ was a man, so women should not have the same rights. Truth argues that Christ was brought to the world by a woman. This exerts the power that women have because a woman and God brought Jesus to the Earth without men. She also uses the Bible story “The Fall” to show Eve’s affect on the entire world. Truth stated, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!” It shows the impact that women have on men and the strength they have to change things. Truth used religion just as the men did to get her argument of equal rights across to the audience.
Overall, Truth made rhetorical choices within her speech to get her point across to the audience. She utilized her womanhood, slavery experiences, and religous beliefs to counter argue the mens’ statements. Her speech proved women deserve rights and made the mens’ argument appear lousy.
I greatly enjoyed reading your analysis. I especially liked your point that she addressed the audience as children to show authority. This also granted her a position to talk about her many tragic life experiences.
DeleteAbby, I found your analysis to be very thought provoking. My favorite part was the ending. You pointed out how she was able to easily dismantle their arguments, making them harder to believe. Good work!
DeleteAbby, I liked reading your analysis because it made me see different points that I missed. I think your use of the connection to the Bible really stuck out to me very well. Great work!
DeleteI liked how you explained that Truth used the example of slavery to prove that women are strong, and go through the same struggles as men.
DeleteSojourner Truth was a woman that was not afraid to speak her mind. As an escaped slave and mother of thirteen children, Sojourner was accustomed to tragedy. Truth supported both the abolitionist and feminist movements.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth is known for her daring speech given at the Women’s Rights Convention taken place in Akron Ohio in 1851. Truth attended the convention as a guest and was roused enough to put herself in the position of a speaker. Sojourner’s speech was her response to a previous speech made by a group of men.
The group of men that spoke attempted to persuade the audience that God intended for women to be subordinate. There are many instances within the Bible where women being subservient are mentioned. Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior.” Another example is Colossians 3:18 which states, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” This use of God’s word angered Truth and she felt compelled to speak.
Truth begins her response strongly and introduces herself as a member of both the negro and the women’s community. She immediately calls out a man that said how women need to be helped into carriages, lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Truth then speaks from experience of never having a man help her do these mundane tasks. Dramatically Truth lists tasks upon tasks that she has accomplished and hardships she has experienced including watching her children being sold off into slavery with Jesus being the only one to listen to her cries for help. Between these statements she asks the question “And ain’t I a woman?” This series of grief and pain is shocking toward the audience as it has been usually for women to be given the best life.
The speech continues to refute the statements made by the men as Truth shares her ideas on intelligence. Truth says that intelligence has nothing to do with rights for women or negroes. Truth uses a comparison of her having a pint sized cup and the members of the audience having a quart sized cup. She says that it would be even more degrading to not give her the full pint of liquid to fill her cup than not to fill it at all. This comparison is used to connect with and appeal to the audience by giving them an example of what her life is like not having as many rights as others. Truth continues and is quick to refute the claim that men are permitted to have more rights than women because Christ was a man. The question Truth presents to the mainly Christian audience is “Where did your Christ come from?” She asks this twice as they all know the answer; a woman and God. I think that this was an extremely important point to mention because Christ is known for adoring and loving his mother. His loving treatment toward His mother shows that even within God’s eyes women deserve to be respected.
The speech ended with an immensely strong message that counters the men’s use of biblical evidence. The message is as follows,” If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!” These empowering words serve the purpose of revealing God's true opinion on women and them having the great amount of strength to turn the world upside down. Sojourner then leaves her stand thanking the audience for listening.
Good job! this is a great analysis and you did an amazing job at analyzing her work. I liked it, good work!
DeleteThis analysis is really good. I am glad that you included the part where she said that intellect should have no effect on human rights. I also liked the part where you talked about how in God's eyes, women are just as capable to make an impact so it is not right to keep rights away from women.
DeleteIn 1851, Sojourner Truth, an African American woman, attended the Women's Rights Convention. Truth wasn’t planning to speak, but she became angered at the sexist, white men speaking. She started her speech hastily by addressing her alliance to, “the negroes of the South and the women at the North.”
ReplyDeleteTruth first speaks on the things the men have said women are too weak to do. She makes the point that she has done all of those things herself. Sojourner Truth asks the same question after each example. “And ain't I a woman?” This rhetorical question establishes her as a credible speaker. None of the men can deny her being a woman, and many of them expect her to do those things for herself because, during this time period, racism was far more common than acceptance. By doing this, she turns her oppression back around on them to prove her own, and all other females’, abilities.
In the middle of the speech, she asks the audience a question about intellect. Then, she reasons that intellect has nothing to do with women’s rights. “If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?” This statement in particular helps the audience to visualize her point. They can see how if men really think women are so inferior, they should not take anything from them or belittle them, rather they should give more to them. It is morally corrupt to take away from those who have less than you. She is not agreeing with their point that women have less; she is trying to show them how, even with their wrong motives, they are still not being logical. She shows over and over again that these men are willing to ignore their statements when it is most convenient to them, making them selfish and untrustworthy.
Most importantly, Truth addresses the Bible. The men made statements of how Jesus was a man and, therefore, was superior. Her response was, “Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.” This particular statement was meant to push the audience
to remember how important Mary was, particularly the way God respected her. God didn’t tell Mary she was going to carry Jesus, he asked her to. God could have conjured Jesus from nothing like he did with Adam, but He wanted Mary to be Christ’s mother. Later, Truth references Adam and Eve again stating how Eve changed the world, and these women would do just the same. Her points were moving because these men valued religion. Her appeal to it clarified how they had been appropriating the Bible to fit their own narrative.
Overall, Sojourner Truth gave a riveting speech that pushed for women’s rights. She was able to use her personal experiences as an escaped slave in the North to root for everyone’s freedom.
I loved your analysis! It was very well written and your take on aspects of her writing were very interesting! Good work!
DeleteIn this speech, given by Sojourner Truth at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, Truth uses a irritated but informal tone towards the white men that this speech is directed towards. Truth also establishes her authority by using comparison, rhetorical questions, and religious allusions to bring up the rights of all men and women. However, she also challenges how many rights a woman has with the question, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
ReplyDeleteShe started out with her mood being a bit more on the bitter side. She mentions many examples as to how she, as a black woman, isn’t treated the same as white women are by the men. One example is the quote, “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place!” In this quote, Truth is talking about how she doesn’t get treated the same way as white women do because no one helps her, rather she does it all herself.
The use of the rhetorical question, “Ain’t I a Woman?” also comes up many times throughout the speech. This question is meant to be used for her appealing to the idea that she is a woman as well and she, along with the other black women, should be treated as equal to white women.
A final rhetorical choice that Truth made in order to appeal to her audience is religion. There are multiple times throughout the passage that she references Jesus as the one who heard and took care of her. She also briefly talks about Eve with the quote, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!” She is using Eve, the first woman that God ever made, to make her speech even stronger. This is one of her strategies to motivate and inspire the women to stand up and fight for their rights.
Overall, Truth was smart in the use of the rhetorical situation in order to get the men to see that she wasn’t going to let them plow over the rights that she wanted.
Jackie, I like how you pointed out that she used the rhetorical question “Ain’t I a Woman?” and that you explained it well. I also liked your theological point of view at the end of your essay.
DeleteJackie, I really enjoyed your essay, but why is the use of the rhetorical question so significant in her speech, and how did this relate to her argument?
DeleteSojourner Truth was a woman who would not be pushed around. Her speech brought up imlortant subjects that are still issues in modern day society such as racism and sexism. Taking a stance against these issues she makes her case known to everyone that she will not be belittled by her race or gender.
ReplyDeleteThe way Truth begins her argument is quite helpful to her. She speaks to them directly calling them children. This may not seem like a lot but it helps the reader feel more connected to the author as if they are having a real conversation. This indices the reader to listen more intently. Another way Truth is able to capture her listeners attention is by painting them a picture of what it is like to be a woman.
She talks about the words she heard whispered behind closed doors, the way men see women, among other things. This helps the reader imagine and come to an understanding of what it must be like as a woman. It also helps whatever supporter she has, seeing their experience in her writing. This makes her more relatable to her readers and easier to connect to. Finally Truth brings up some controversial topics in her writing that afoul be considered a risky move.
She brings God into the topic which would have been an important subject back in her day. By doing this she shows her fearlessness and seriousness in her opinions on woman’s rights. This will cause some backlash and some acceptance form different people. Along with asking rhetorical questions, making her audience feel more engaged she is able to bring her argument home. All these things help her win her case against these important issues.
Truth was a brilliant writer with string opinions. She used her words to convince people of the importance of acceptance. Her words can still be used as an example today.
Tiffani, I really liked your rhetorical analysis, but how was the topic of God and Christianity important in Sojourner Truth's time, and why was this so important to the rhetorical situation?
DeleteTiffani, I like how you took into accountability that the world is still doing the same thing with sexism and racism. I wish you could have put more of her quotes in your essay, but I think this is well put together.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you tied her speech into our world today. I also liked how you mentioned that she is strong and will fight for what she believes in.
DeleteSojourner Truth was a very strong woman who stood up for what she believed in. She was about to escape from slavery and she supported the feminist and abolitionist movements. She delivered a speech at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. She delivered this speech, that was not planned, in front of many white men that did not want women to have rights.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth starts off by calling the people children. When she calls the people children, she is showing them how she is older and wiser than the rest of them. She is telling them that she has more experience from what has happened in her life. Since the men in the crowd were using the Bible for their argument, Truth decided to use it too. She argued with the statement that a man said. He said that women weren’t allowed to have rights like men, because “Christ wasn’t a woman.” She stoked back by saying that Jesus came from God and a woman. She also tells them that men didn’t have anything to do with this process.
Sojourner Truth appeals to the emotions of the people. She shares something personal with the crowd. She talks about how she had thirteen kids all together. She had to sit and watch while most of her kids were sold into slavery. She wants us to imagine how hard it would be if your kids got rips out of your arms to be sold to someone else. This is how she uses imagery. She also gives us an example. She tells us the story with the two ladies with different cup sizes. It would be rude to not give the person that has a smaller cup some extra water or something.
She is telling the men that she is not getting any special treatment. Nobody is helping her to walk over mud. She is also telling the white men that she dies hard work too. “Look at my arm,” she is showing the men that she works hard. She also repeats many times, “And ain’t I a woman?” She is showing the white men that there is a lot more to being a woman than they know.
Truth stood up in front of all those white men to convince them that women should have rights like they do.
Good analysis, I enjoyed reading this. It was very well written! Unfortunately, I see one major fallacy in your essay. In the fourth paragraph, you mention that Sojourner Truth died. I feel this is incorrect, as the speaker is speaking so she must be alive. Other than that, nice job!
DeleteI’m sorry there was a typo, I meant to say does.
DeleteThis is unacceptable. I could understand if you messed up words like “discombobulate,” and “friendship.” But this is a catastrophic error. This changes the entire context of the essay. If she was dead this speech would never have happened, and since this speech was so impactful, it could have changed the course of history forever. Otherwise, good analysis.
DeleteIn 1851, Sojourner Truth, who was a former slave, attended the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, as just a black, innocent woman in the audience. What would eventually happen at the convention was shocking. Men in the audience began using citing biblical references to explain how women should remain compliant. No one expected anyone to stand up against their own beliefs about women and their rights, but Sojourner Truth thought differently. She felt that she needed to say something that could change the audiences opinion about women being just as equal to men and that they should have just as many rights and privileges as men.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth first gets the audience’s attention by saying, “The man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman?” She first wants to create a relationship between her and the audience to prove her point of view. By saying the statement above, Truth wants the audience to think about their own possible injustices faced in their lives. She is trying to tell the audience that she isn’t treated the same as other white women and that she is capable of accomplishing lots of the same things on her own.
After the statements that Truth makes, she asks the rhetorical question, “And ain’t I a Woman?” Even when just reading the speech, one can hear and feel the emotion and excitement in her words. She is still trying to strengthen her point that even though she is a women, she can do many things just the same as white women or men. She also wants the audience to understand her point of view as a black mother of thirteen children. Her tone is very strong as she sounds confident in herself with a bit of anger that builds as she repeats the question, “And ain’t I a Woman?”
Finally, Truth recalls to what the men were saying about women using biblical allusions. She says, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again!” There is a reason that God made Adam a man and Eve a woman. He knew that they both are equal to one another. Truth is trying to convince the audience of this as well. She hopes that women will be motivated by it and fight for what they deserve, which is equality and justice.
I think the portion of your analysis concerning Truth trying to give the audience her point of view is very well written, good job Mason!
DeleteSojourner Truth’s speech at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio conveys a message that women should have more rights, and be more equal to men. She addressed the white men, and used a series of rhetorical choices to make her argument enticing and convincing. She used imagery, appealed to shared beliefs, and used practical, logical thinking to counter the other speakers at the convention.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth used imagery to appeal to the emotions within the audience. She used stories of slavery, her losing her thirteen kids to the slave trade. This image is powerful, because losing a child, whether an individual is male or female is powerful. She also suggested that men believe that women need help. This image is somewhat pathetic, no able-bodied individual should need help doing normal, everyday tasks, and if they cannot, that is no excuse to deny someone rights. Her use of imagery and appealing to emotions was vital to her argument, and worked in conjunction with other rhetorical aspects.
The speaker appealed to shared beliefs to establish her authority. She established this by using Christianity, which was being used to say why women should not have rights. She countered and stated that a woman turned the world upside-down by herself, why shouldn't women be allowed to turn it right-side up. This is a powerful rhetorical question that makes the reader or listener think about women and their rights. She also established authority by calling the audience children, and referring to herself as “Old sojourner” which implies that she is older and wiser. These aspects are important because without it, she would lack all credibility, and her argument would mean nothing to the audience.
Sojourner Truth used logical thinking throughout her speech to counter the arguments made against women’s rights. She uses facts about being a woman, and how not giving women rights is unfair. When she refers to the pint-sized and quart-sized cups, she is directly implying that it is not logical to deny someone their “fill” of that cup. Therefore, she states that it is illogical to deny women rights. She practically relates her argument to practical thinking as well, such as the men should let the women have their rights, and influence the world.
Overall, Sojourner Truth uses imagery, shared beliefs, and logical thinking in her speech to establish her message and make her argument convincing. These are all important rhetorical choices that made her speech effective towards women's rights.
Sojourner Truth was an African American women, who escaped from slavery during a time of moral injustices being practiced throughout America. After her break from slavery, in 1851 she attended the Women's Rights Convention, located in Akron, Ohio. After a group of men gave a speech concerning biblical reference to keeping women subservient to men, Truth felt obligated to rebuttal, despite her having no prior intention to speak.
ReplyDeleteThe speech started out by Truth immediately attacking the ignorance of the men and their inability to understand what was blatantly wrong with their claims. She pointed out that, as a black woman, she did not receive the treatment that these men explained would coincide with the subserivince of men. “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?” By starting out with this statement, she sets the tone for the rest of her monologue. Her first rhetorical strategy was simply explaining what her experiences are on an everyday basis. This is essential to winning over her audience, because they are no longer hearing claims by people who have no complaints, but rather they are hearing truth from a person who went through this suffering. This is by far the most important part of the speech, because it does an excellent job of illustrating the injustices in America, by putting the audience in the shoes of someone who has gone through it themself.
She then goes on to express her sadness and frustration by saying, “I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?” This is a very impactful quote from her speech. Taken out of context, this portion does not display the true influence it had on the audience. It’s common for people to say that no one loves like a mother loves her child, and who better to explain the pain of having your child stripped away from you than a group of women at a Women’s Rights Convention? They could all understand how horrible it must’ve been for Truth to go through such terrible hardships. And to think it was because of the same gender and race to now claim that women have to be subservient to them.
Towards the end of her speech, she redirects the subject to focus on the religious aspect. She threatened the men’s understanding of the Scripture, and ignorance to the power of women as a whole. “Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.” Along with this statement, she also includes, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!” In doing this, she is implying that the men’s core argument for their belief is actually completely backwards. The audience would have no choice but to side with Truth, for if she uses the same logic as the white man, how could she be wrong?
Sojourner Truth was an african America woman who spoke about black rights and woman’s rights. She gave a speech in Akron, Ohio in 1851 trying to persuade black woman to fight for their rights. She starts persuading and playing with their emotions right of the bat. In the second paragraph she talks about how most men believe that woman should be treated with respect. She explains that a gentleman would open a door for a woman or would carry her across a ditch, but no matter what they wouldn’t do it for a black woman. By giving points like this to the audience she is getting them fired up and at the same time giving them reason to believe in what she is fighting for. She is playing with the audiences emotions which makes them listen, and makes them want to do something about it. She shows she is the right person to be giving the speech by saying “ain’t I a woman too” and “look at me, look at my arm”. She was showing the she was african America and reminding them over and over she was a woman. By doing this she is proving to the audience she is the right person to be up there and it helps her really prove her point. The final way she proves her point is by just making sense and using logic. She says things like men think woman don’t deserve the same amount of respect as men because Jesus was a man, but then says Mary was a woman Jesus wouldn’t have been alive if Mary would have said no. She also gives an example by saying if someone had a pint container to hold water and another person got a quart size container the should be good enough of a person to share to give them both an even amount. She does this to help the audience understand better and to make it easier to follow along.
ReplyDeleteSojourner Truth was an escaped female slave who fought for women’s rights after she was free. She spoke out about the injustices that are felt by all women in the way that they are treated and how they are viewed as weak or lesser. She used the emotions of the women in the room and got them to agree with her even if they hadn’t before by showing him point through all the hardships she had endured. She shows that in her instance if a woman could suffer, work, and live like a man then they should be treated the same. She tells how she was used and beaten and how her children were taken from her to appeal to the motherly love of the women in the audience. She also makes a point for African Americans by stating that men think women should be treated amazingly and with respect but her as a black woman has never received any treatment of her being respected before. She uses her emotions, personal experience, and the words of others to make the people in the audience understand what she means.
ReplyDelete4 minutes late. So close!
ReplyDelete