“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 are asking to do it, the men better let them.” With this statement the ideal of feminism had been implanted within the souls of every oppressed woman within the sound range of the speakers’ voice. In fact, the first prominent feminist was NOT Beyonce—albeit “Flawless” is a very catchy song. In fact one of the first very prominent female activists didn’t need such a huge following to not only be uneducated but easily eloquent. Sojourner Truth became a symbol of hope and strength for not only African Americans, but African American women …show more content…
Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, because Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him….” Truth very clearly asserts that the world is her oyster, despite the fact that she is a woman. To her being a woman is not a burden, but a state of being, and she quite frankly does not mind it. Truth is very adamant as she tries to assert her rights, in her opinion of her gender. She makes it known that she does not feel the same sorrow the average woman feels about their skin nor their gender—although she would have reason to, “as I watched all 13 of my children sold into slavery”. She emphasizes her point by her strong use of language; such as “cried out with a mothers grief” and “when none but jesus heard me”. Her use of repetition reiterates her point in the phrase “Aren’t I a Woman? She also uses slang; to make her piece more relatable to the audience, such as “twixt, and …show more content…
Though I have not experienced that sort of heart ache I can only imagine how I would feel in that situation, and considering the period this piece was written a lot of other women would sympathize with her because they’d have had that happen to them or they had children of their own. Appeals is one rhetorical technique that made Truth’s speech mean something to her whole entire audience. The fact that this was in the middle of the speech gives the piece as a whole a shift in tone. She blankly states how things must change for women. She enforces this thinking, or logos throughout the whole essay, particularly within the paragraph containing this sentence; “Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [“Intellect,” whispered someone near.] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negro 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”. She tries to outwardly get the audience to understand her reasoning, as it was a sound and valid argument. One may not understand the fight for women’s rights, but everyone could understand the analogy between the fullness of the cup and equality. Why wouldn’t you let someone have their own, even if it is less than the amount that you can