Douglass

Douglass

It is well known that in the United State's history that there were large acts of oppression taking place not only against people of color, but women as well, who were seen as lesser gender to the empowered average white man. In her speech at a women's rights convention in 1851, Sojourner Truth questions the morality of the argument of the previous speaker who was a pastor. In the forth section of her speech Truth states in response to the pastor, “That little man in black there, he says women can't have can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a women!” This concise statement is directed at the audience's sense of right and wrong, and then is left there, firmly planted as a nagging reminder while Truth moves to support her precise words with logical evidence that concludes the forth section of her speech, “Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.” Both quotes carefully attack the “little man in black's” only real argument for the continued oppression of women and leaves it in the dust while Truth moves forward with her argument by playing for the hearts of her audience through an emotional appeal. In section five Truth delivers what might be the most motivational element of her speech, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the whole 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.” By connecting tho the audiences passion for the correction of the oppression and inequality of women, Truth inspires and empowers them through her diction to continue to fight for what they think is right, and that the men who stand in their way better back down.

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