TOW #11 - Sojourner Truth: "Ain't I a Woman"

     The United States was a whole different world for African-Americans during the 19th century. Slavery was still prominent across the United States and it would last until the late 1800's. Even more so, women's rights were almost non-existent as men dominated the American society.  Millions of women, even the wealthy whites, were restrained from certain rights until the late 1900's. Sojourner Truth, a notable African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist, experienced not only neglect due to her gender, but also discrimination due to her race. In her influential speech "Ain't I a Woman", Sojourner Truth alludes to her religious views as well as utilizes repetition as a means of effectively persuading women, particularly African-American women, to stand up for their individual rights.
    During a less secular time period, religion, particularly Christianity, was an vital aspect of many American's lives. Truth realizes that although she is nearly powerless, she can question the white men through religion, asking, "he says women can't have as much rights as men,' cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him". Despite being an African-American woman, part of the lowest levels of the social structures at the time, Sojourner truth positions herself to directly challenge the higher class men by alluding to a reverend God that the people believed to be omnipotent.  She persuades African American women that since Jesus Christ was born from a mother, women are just as capable as men and should be treated equally as men, if not more.
   To further her argument for equality, Truth emphasizes the idea of women's rights as well as the
abolition of slavery by reiterating the same point numerous times. When faced with both discrimination and gender inequality, Truth lets her anger out by stating, "Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! Ain't I am woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have plouged and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman?" By repeating the phrase "Ain't I a woman", Sojourner Truth sparks a mix of passion and anger among the African-American women. Every time the phrase is repeated, her idea builds onto the previous idea, ultimately creating a dynamic argument. Through the inclusion of repetition in her speech, Truth accentuates her idea of equality for all African-American women and makes her passion towards the subject clear.
     Hence, through the integration of allusion and repetition, Sojourner Truth effectively influences African-American women and provokes an urgent feeling of personal rights.