Compare And Contrast Sojourner Truth And Ain T I A Woman

In Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” and Frederick Douglass’ “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery” use rhetorical questions for emphasis, anecdotes to connect with the audience, counterarguments to Christianity’s opposing stance and repetition to force the audience to listen. These contemporaries used similar ways to prove their causes were not only worthy but necessary for society to move forward from its oppressing history. Both of them draw from personal experience, as former slaves. Although neither of them would live to see their goals fully realized, these speeches played an immense role in changing public opinion and they continue to inspire marginalized societies. Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech was given in

She would remain illiterate for the rest of her life, and therefore her language may be considered inferior and primitive but it is just as memorable and efficient in its simplicity. Frederick Douglass followed a more standard approach, emulating official declarations and formal documents. Although they have different styles of communicating, one of their main rhetorical devices is the asking and answering of their own questions. Frederick Douglass questions, “Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it. Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery?” and then he answers, “To do so would be to make myself ridiculous, and to offer an insult to your understanding. There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven that does not know that slavery is wrong for him,” (CP 16). These rhetorical questions are asked and answered in almost the same breath. Their purpose is to quickly point out the blatant hypocrisy. Sojourner Truth similarly uses this rhetorical device, “Then they talk about this thing in their head; what’s this they call it? [member of the audience whispers, “intellect”] That’s it honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights?” (CP 21). Sojourner Truth quickly addresses the three main arguments against freedom and the full enjoyment of liberties for women. These are: that women are too

They used very similar rhetorical devices to successfully appeal to their audiences: personal experiences, rhetorical questions, repetition and biblical references. Repetition allowed for emphasis and ease of remembrance. Sojourner Truth allows for her personal experiences to become an integral part of her speech. The story she tells has a refreshing quality of realness, which cements her authority on the subject. There is a richness in her background that cannot be denied and offers the audience something concrete and tangible with her very much abstract notions of liberty and freedom. Frederick Douglass did the same, peppering his personal experiences with an official format, following a more formal approach to his speech. The rhetorical questions asked and answered kept the audience engaged and informed, allowing the speakers to easily control where their argument was going and emphasize their most important points. The biblical references strengthened the bonds they laid claim to as citizens and humans and allowed them to connect with the audience on a level that transcended mortality. These main devices strengthened the arguments of Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass and have called for change in legislation and allowed their words to still be remembered in