Sojourner Truth 2 page Lit Response

Siarra Williams
October 24, 2008
AP English III Period 11
2-page Literary Response Sojourner Truth

“Aren’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth is truly a work of art. She expresses herself so vividly and she did it in a tone of a woman who has been scorn. In the short speech she expresses her opinion on woman’s rights and Negroes’ rights. Her tone of a respected woman with an attitude is revealed all through the speech. It’s intriguing to read this passage and imagine the way that she captivated the audience’s attention as an African American slave.
Truth uses syntax and punctuation to show how intense she felt about woman’s rights and Negroes’ rights. The reader is then drawn to the page by pathos. When she says “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles or gives me any best place, and aren’t I a woman? Look at me!” (Truth page 423) The way the sentence is structured to first show what privileges she does not receive, and then ends with the question “aren’t I a woman?” is just so powerful. It almost suggests that she may have said that statement with an attitude. She then goes on to say “look at me!” She commands the audience’s attention at this point, she was no longer asking politely. This suggests that she wanted the audience to know her point of view, did not really matter to her if they understood or not as long as they knew how she felt about the rights of women and the rights of Negroes.
“I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me- and aren’t I a woman?” (Truth page 423) She establishes ethos when she credits the work she has done as a slave, even though she is a woman. It is seemed by me that she uses this line to establish the injustice given to women of color. African American women were sent to work just as the men of Caucasian descent and African American descent were. Female slaves, although they are women, did not receive any of the privileges of Caucasian women. As stated before she was less than likely to be helped into carriages or given the best place all because of her status in the world. It’s upsetting that her status was put before her gender, but, like the age old question: which came first the chicken or the egg, which was Sojourner born into first her gender or her status as the world perceives her.
Truth was a moving and powerful speaker. She was well-known for getting her points across to the audience. It is inspiring to me that a woman of color during her time period was so sassy and shameless with her feelings and speaking on them. Truth established her audacious tone through her use of pathos and ethos. She made sure the audience knew of her past experiences and feelings.