Analyzing Power Dynamics- A Rhetorical Deconstruction of Aint I a Woman?

Analyzing Power Dynamics- A Rhetorical Deconstruction of Aint I a Woman?

Rhetoric Efficiency Lesson

All around the world, people seek equality in one aspect or another. As they seek equality, members of the given society need to be convinced of what is being argued for. For this reason, numerous strategies are employed to show the need for equality, including rhetorical strategies. Rhetoric guides what a writer will say and influences how people will receive and perceive the information enough to change their minds. Accordingly, the speech Ain’t I a Woman? by Sojourner Truth conveys the use of rhetoric strategies for the conviction of the need for women’s rights.

In Ain’t I A Woman?, Truth discusses the arguments presented against women’s rights and argues against them using herself and her experiences. Truth begins by positioning that not only are women fighting for their rights, but also the Black people of the South are also fighting for their rights, which presents the need for equality. Given that the speech was delivered at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention to advocate for women’s rights, Truth then argues for women’s rights by first presenting previously presented arguments against women’s rights, including women’s need to be helped into carriages and Christ being a man amongst others, to which she blatantly nullifies showcasing her attitude, which shows the speech’s tone. Consistently, the use of the SOAPSToneS strategy is evident.

I believe everyone is entitled to equality, and being able to convince others of the same is dire. Truth was able to give a convicting speech because of her convictions. For instance, she used logos in the speech by stating, “Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.” Pathos was used while presenting a mother’s cry for her children as they were sold off as slaves, and ethos while presenting Truth’s past experiences as a slave. I believe that when needed, sharing personal and traumatic events is necessary and respectable, as well as being a show of courage.

In conclusion, the speech Ain’t I A Woman? by Sojourner Truth conveys the use of SOAPSToneS strategy and rhetoric: logos, pathos, and ethos. These strategies are employed in her speech as her speech needed to be compelling in convincing the audience of women’s need for rights or equality. Truth used rhetoric flawlessly and in a manner that suited the delivery enough to pass along her conviction to her audience. I was able to see firsthand the use of rhetoric in writing and see its efficiency when employed.

Works Cited

Truth, Sojourner. “Ain’t I A Woman?” Women’s Rights Convention, 29^th May 1851, Old Stone Church (since demolished), Akron, Ohio.

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Using your rhetorical deconstruction of the David Byrne lyrics or the Sojourner Truth speech as well as the guiding questions in the SOAPSToneS strategy and the three modes of argument–logos,

Analyzing Power Dynamics- A Rhetorical Deconstruction of Aint I a Woman.

pathos, and ethos– you will write a ½ to 1-page or more Reading Response, in MLA format, to either the speech or the lyrics.