Womens rights have always been an ongoing issue. For decades, activists and feminists have been trying to reconsider the existing distribution of privileges and power to provide equal opportunities for people regardless of their gender. The question of womens suffrage was a fundamental aspect of these debates (Weiss 13). Numerous outstanding political leaders and feminists devoted their works to the investigation of this aspect and outlined their perspectives on it.
The analyzed article by Carrie Chapman Cat is one of the examples of these works. It revolves around the inevitability of womens suffrage and the aspects that surround it. The paper is a bright example of the in-depth analysis of the problem and a perfect insight into the future of womens participation in the political life of the country.
Presenting her arguments about womens suffrage and perspectives on the further evolution of the given issue, Chapman manages to succeed because of several factors. First of all, she uses an appropriate structure to demonstrate her perspective and make readers think about the inevitability of radical changes in the political system of the state (Chapman). She states that there are three reasons why women will be provided with equal political rights and then offers them, preserving a logical flow and coming from less to more powerful ones (Chapman). The given structure helps to follow her arguments and understand the background of processes that will result in the significant reorganization of the political environment and shifts in peoples mentalities.
Another aspect that contributes to the overall success of the given paper is the tone. The author offers sober facts along with her cogitations and appeals to the audience. For instance, she asks: “Do you realize that in no other country in the world with democratic tendencies is suffrage so completely denied as in a considerable number of our own states?” (Chapman). The given question helps to create a particular effect on the audience. The author wants people to think about the current state of the issue, reveals the problem for those who are unaware, and blames political elites for discriminative patterns that are cultivated in the country. It helps to create a specific tone that makes her arguments more powerful and increases the value of the paper.
The author also correctly uses pathos to appeal to readers emotions and convince an audience of the inevitability of womens suffrage by creating a strong emotional response to the idea she promotes. First, she uses a chain of rhetorical questions starting with the same phrase “do you realize…” to make individuals think about the real state of the issue and trigger an outburst of emotions (Chapman). It is a potent tool as it helps to guarantee participation in the dialogue with the author and engage in debates about the discussed issue (Toye 34).
Second, she appeals to the society using the word “ours” in different contexts to demonstrate that all people regardless of their gender belong to the same nation and cultivate the same values like democracy and tolerance (Chapman). In such a way, Chapman creates a powerful emotional response to her words.
Finally, throughout the whole paper, the author offers numerous facts and credible pieces of evidence to support her ideas and demonstrate the inevitability of womens suffrage. This appeal to logic, or logos, contributes to the improved understanding of central arguments and their enhanced power (Toye 54).
For instance, Chapman explores such historical events as the Revolution that gave rise to the American nationhood or the creation of the Declaration outlining citizens basic rights to show the true nature of her arguments and the existence of a particular background for the emergence of radical changes in peoples mentalities and their perspectives on the problem of womens suffrage in the state (Chapman). Numerous appeals to logic and the wise use of logos help to ensure the audience in the authors rectitude and her ability to foresee the further development of the situation.
Finally, Chapman utilizes the authority of such outstanding political activists as Lincoln or Elihu Root to persuade the audience that the need for change is obvious and comes from the nature of the existing political environment. These prominent people correctly realized the unique role democracy and tolerance should play in the states evolution (Chapman). That is why it is critical to accept their ideas and recognize the inevitability of womens suffrage regarding the existing political course.
Altogether, the paper presents itself as a successful example of the authors cogitation about a particular issue in an attempt to make the audience think about perspectives of the state and its political environment. Combining ethos, pathos, and logos with an appropriate structure and offering bright examples to support her ideas, Chapman creates a particular effect that makes the audience believe the narrator and reconsiders their perspectives on the discussed issue. That is why the article succeeds in conveying its primary message to the audience and revealing the central aspects of womens suffrage, the background for the emergence of radical alterations in people’s mentalities, and the further development of the question.
Works Cited
Chapman, Carrie. “Address to the Congress on Women’s Suffrage.” American Rhetoric. Web.
Toye, Richard. Rhetoric: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Weiss, Elaine. The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote. Viking, 2018.