Sojourner Truth Lit. Response

Is the speech Sojourner Truth gave at the women’s right convention called “Aren’t I a woman?” or “Ain’t I a woman?” This was a very powerful speech, but I feel it was even more powerful when it was in written in the way that she spoke it. The word choices that were in the speech relates to pathos. The language that was chosen appeals to emotion, gaining attention from the audience. It shows her character and it also gave the speech more meaning. It showed the audience that she was human, as well as a woman.

Sojourner Truth appeals to logos as well. Multiple times in her speech, she repeated the phrase “Ain’t I a woman?” This was reiterated about four times throughout the speech. She did this to get her purpose across to the audience. She constantly reminds her audience the reason on why she is speaking. She gives several examples of experiences she has gone through as an African-American woman and how she has done things for herself. For example, she said she had thirteen children and cried out for them when she almost saw them get sold into slavery. I think she said this to prove just like any other mother, she would have the grief any other mother would have. She wants to be treated as if she was equal and this is what this speech is suggesting.

Also, during her speech, she showed her audience her muscle inferring that she was jus as strong as a man, so why shouldn’t she be considered a woman. She even said she did the same type of work a man could do. This point appeals to ethos. She tells about her experience and knowledge making her more believable and her speech sincere. The audience would probably pay more attention and take what she has to say more seriously. Another thing that makes this speech appeal more to ethos is her character. Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist and women’s right activist. This demonstrates that she’s trustworthy and credible in what she’s saying. She would know a lot about the subject she was talking about. Sojourner Truth does not use a different persona. She is just herself and was expressing her point of view on the subject.

I really enjoyed her speech and I thought it was powerful. She got her point through to her audience and relates to all the parts of the rhetorical triangle thus making this an excellent speech.