Arent I woman response

Sojourner Truth was a powerful speaker and a very important African American women of the 1800s. In Truths “Aren’t I a woman” speech there is one part of rhetoric that just slaps the reader in the face. That part of rhetoric, is Pathos. In the speech Truth is clearly trying to make the audience feel a certain way and she does a marvelous job of persuading the audience.
Now Truths audience is already on her side but she wins them over even more with this strong speech. Right off the back Truth makes the audience feel sympathy towards her. At the beginning of the excerpt, Truth talks about how she isn’t treated like a lady and she goes on repeating “aren’t I a woman.” When someone is hurt so bad and they convey their massage to and huge audience, the audience is going to feel that same pain. When reading this, the reader will feel that same pain. The Pathos is Clearly established from the get go in Truth’s Speech and as it goes on she just adds more wood to this emotional fire. Her references to “women’s rights or Negroes’ rights” really gets her audience into the speech. The audience is riled up already and Truth feeds off the vibe. In the speech Truth uses examples of things to justify that women have rights. She even refers to God and Jesus. “Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him.” By saying this Truth feels that woman are actually higher than man. The pathos has changed; now the audience, well most of the audience, feels empowered and important. Not saying that they weren’t important from the beginning, its just that Truth helps these individuals realize that they are important and that they deserve to be treated better.
The strong emotions felt in Truth’s speech help her get the point across to her audience. Its was like she buttered them up and got them all rowdy and just threw the information at them. And this worked for Truth. The reader can determine that pathos is clearly evident and that it helps Truth transfer her message.