“Ain’t I a Woman?” is a seminal speech by Sojourner Truth at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851. Truth was born into slavery in the 19th century United States, subsequently becoming an outspoken abolitionist speaker and women’s suffragist (Inniss 1637). The title is derived from the question, which was repeatedly posed by Truth during the speech to highlight the hypocrisy of the societal perception and treatment of white women compared to black women. Truth uses numerous rhetorical devices to appeal to her audience, including the appeal to plain folks, juxtaposition, pathos, logos, and repetition.
The first rhetorical tool is an appeal to the community, consisting of combinations of the means of expression used and a particular manner of speech. These components stand out since Truth was not initially invited to speak. She gave an impromptu speech, which gave her words extra weight, as most of them came straight from her thoughts. This manner of oration is most similar to the speech of an ordinary person who faces a difficult question and must give an answer, which further brings her closer to the audience. The use of a straightforward and conversational tone with slang also wins over the audience. The absence of complex literary speech allows more people to understand what a woman is talking about and feel the emotions conveyed, among which love is the main one. Through love and passion, Truth sought to draw attention to her words and connect with her audience (Smiet 96). Using these instruments, she recounted the complex problems in understandable and straightforward words, appealing to emotions.
Such an approach is quite close to ordinary people’s thoughts and worldview; however, it has some shortcomings and negative aspects. From the perspective of more educated individuals, many of Truth’s statements can be matched with counterarguments, thus forming a potential pushback. The forced improvisation of speech and the inability to prepare in advance are significant disadvantages. Due to improvisation, the structure may suffer, which will lead to confusion of thought and an insufficiently clearly established position. An even more significant obstacle to conveying thoughts can be too simple a tone full of slang. In particular, it is worth noting the moment in the speech when Truth forgot the word “intellect”. Although not all ordinary people knew the meaning of such literary words, this reservation characterizes a woman not from the best side. This makes it possible for opponents to appeal to the woman’s low intelligence and, as a result, the insignificance of her words since they have no compelling supporting arguments. Some people may also object to her emotional stance in terms of love, as the issues at stake require a logical approach rather than passionate zeal.
Works Cited
Inniss, Lolita Buckner. “While the Water Is Stirring: Sojourner Truth as Proto-Agonist in the Fight for (Black) Women’s Rights.” Boston University Law Review, vol. 100, no. 1637, 2020, pp. 1637-1663.
Smiet, Katrine. Sojourner Truth and Intersectionality: Travelling Truths in Feminist Scholarship. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2021, pp. 1-153.