Question

Excerpt from Ain't I a Woman a speech by Sojourner Truth Delivered at the 1851 Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages,

and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody

ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best

place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have

ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head

me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a

man—when I could get it—and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a

woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to

slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus

heard me! And ain't I a woman?


Which rhetorical appeal is demonstrated in the excerpt?

Answer 1

The rhetorical appeal demonstrated in the excerpt is ethos, where Sojourner Truth uses her personal experiences and accomplishments to establish credibility and trustworthiness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rhetorical appeal demonstrated in the excerpt from Sojourner Truth's speech is ethos. Ethos refers to the use of credibility and trustworthiness to persuade an audience. In this speech, Sojourner Truth utilizes ethos by highlighting her own personal experiences and accomplishments as a woman, a freed slave, and a mother.

She emphasizes her strength and resilience, describing how she ploughed, planted, and gathered crops, and how she withstood the lash of slavery. By sharing these personal details, she establishes herself as a credible and powerful voice in advocating for women's rights.

Furthermore, she challenges the prevailing societal norms that men are stronger and more deserving of assistance than women. Sojourner Truth's use of ethos in this speech effectively appeals to the audience's sense of credibility and trustworthiness, making her argument for women's equality more persuasive.