Analysis Of Ain T I A Woman

In both "Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth and the letters of Abigail Adams, the authors use evidence of the oppression of women in their daily lives to advocate for equality between men and women. In her speech, Truth points out the characteristics that she shares with men when she says that she could eat and work "as much as a man" (Truth). She argues that women are not inferior to men, so they deserve to be compensated with the same manner that men are rewarded. She supports her argument by using her experiences, which are similar to that of a man's, to emphasize the fact that the disparity between men and women is unfair since women are equally as devoted as men are. She urges the audience to look at the hardships that she experienced, …show more content…
In her speech, Truth denounces the patronizing attitude of men. She says that "man had nothing to do with [Christ]" since Christ was born from Mother Mary and God himself (Truth). She uses an aggressive tone that conveys her frustration with the inequality that she sees between men and women. The audience can see through her phrasings and accusations that she passionately believes that women and men should receive equal benefits that are independent of their gender. Also, throughout her speech, Truth repeats the phrase "And ain't I a woman?" The repetition of this particular phrase serves to build passion and incorporate pathos into her argument. Through this simple phrase, she communicates to the audience that people discriminate against women for no specific reason. She paints a picture of the unnecessary suffering that women endure because of the gender with which they were born. On the other hand, Adams maintains a cool, reasonable tone throughout her letters. She apologizes for her ideas by saying her "pen has run away" with her thoughts. Instead of pushing equality for men and being passionate about the subject, she maintains a distant relationship with the topic at hand; she does not want her writings to seem offensive or intense. She also pleads for rights of women in a muted manner by asking John Adams to "remember the Ladies" (Adams). Instead of demanding that John Adams include the rights of women when drafting new laws, she quietly pleads him to have mercy upon the women by incorporating rights for them inside of his new decrees. Although readers may see her tacit requests as a sign of inferiority, they are effective because they come across as humbleness instead of inferiority. She manages to display class and self-control while still advocating for the resolution of the unfair