"Arent I a Woman" Response

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree in Ulster County, New York. She renamed herself following a religious experience and beginning her career as a preacher for abolition and women's rights. Truth believed that woman should be treated with the upmost respect more than anyone else in the world. "Aren't I a Woman" was the speech Truth gave at the Women's Rights Convention in 1851 which was later transcribed and published.

I think that 'twixt the Negroes of the South and the woman of the North all a-talking about rights, the white man will be in a fix pretty soon(S.Truth). This is the opening quote toward this speech and Truth tells her audience that the white woman are treated differently than we are because the color of our skin. Pathos is not always making the reader cry, but makes them feel the pain and really internalize what is going on. I bet she got people's attention when she made this statement about how the white man will state his opinion against the black woman. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles or gives me any best place, and aren't I a woman?(S.Truth) Sojourner Truth explains to her audience that the black community of women don't receive the help the white woman do. Pathos is present because people can see how a woman is treated and by using this particular man's opinion, she probably made him stop and think like yea she is a woman and what she is saying makes plenty of sense.

Truth uses certain examples to let us know that woman can be anything they put their mind to and that strong things come from a good start. I have borne thirteen children and seen them almost all sold off into slavery, and when I cried out with a mother's grief, none but Jesus heard(S.Truth). Here Truth tell us that she has had a lot of children and almost all of them were sold into slavery. She never stopped having kids because she was a strong woman who cries, but can take the pain along with agony while it lasted. She also states in her speech that she can do things that a man can do like plow, eat more, plant,and gather things in the barn. This shows a black is capable of dong things a white woman most likely wouldn't want to do, but she tells her audience between the lines that she has courage. If my cup won't hold but a pint and yours a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?(S.Truth). This example had to be thought out because she compares this to the white woman's rights verses the Negro rights. The cup represents the Negroes not being able to get the respect that they desreve because othey are black. The other person with the quart is the society and the other rights having enough respect full blast, but not sharing it with the person holding the cup just to get half of what they have. The pointing of the finger showed how she felt toward the minster who made the comment about helping woman into carriages. I believe she got really upset because the way it all plays into one puzzle, she found the missing pieces with her attitude for that particular day about her own rights. An example towaard strong things come from good start is when a little man in black made a comment about how woman can't have the same rights as men becasue Christ wasn't a woman. Truth exploded when she heard this because she overexaggerated with telling him that Christ was from a woman. We all know he wasn't but the point taken here was if it had not been for woman, he wouldn't have been here. Since woman are just as important than men, woman should get equal rights is what she was trying to say. There was a source of thunder upon the crowd because everyone knew it was the honest truth figuratively. Her eyes were like bslls of fire because for a long time she must've held it in to really voice hjer opinion toward the white male.

By reading this, I have actually thought about how luycky we are today to not even go through things like this. For a black woman to fight for her own rights is a very powerful and strong woman. There are a lot of woman like this in the world, but they are afraid to show it because of what people might say. Truth really taught me to voice my opinion even though negativity might come my way and be grateful for the freedom I have today.