Ain’t I a Woman: Countless Issues Addressed

                The brilliant writing by Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a Woman”, is work that addresses many issues all in one text. The obvious and most prominent dispute in this story is the disagreement between the government, women, and African Americans. At a time where women are fighting to have a voice in the matters of government and other things, African Americans are battling for the same objective. Truth is writing from a defeated perspective because she is both African American and female. In the proverbial food chain of importance during the time Truth wrote this peace, white men were the top priority of the political ladder, then white women and black men, and black women brought up the rear. Her strongest argument in her writing was for the voting opportunities to be given to women, and she makes sure to set the record straight on anyone who assumed that they were inferior. Truth advocated that nothing such as: race, gender, or intellectual standing should ever determine whether citizens were granted the right to vote.

            First, the issue of having the right to vote is a major theme in this story. African Americans and women were not allowed to partake in this right and this created a problem that was worth fighting for. Truth hit the nail on the head when she said, “I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon” (510). Basically, white men were in for a lengthy and hard battle if they were going to remain the only group of people with the right to vote. The African Americans were gaining support and the women in the North were gaining influence, but both groups were definitely increasing in number. Truth acknowledges that these two groups, who were being excluded from voting were, sure to either have their way or give the white men an enormous amount of grief trying.

            Truth’s beautiful argument for the competence of women was empowering, and it demanded the attention of all who doubted the supremacy of women as a group. It seems like society and men attribute the bad things that certain women did to the group as a whole, and this stereotype is not accurate at all. The fall of the world has been blamed on the woman because of Eve’s mistake at the beginning of it all, but her error should not be a characteristic of the entire female gender. Truth addressed this continuing stereotype head on: “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!" (511). If the fall of man can be credited to the misdeeds of one woman, then there is definitely a lot to be said of what can come from a group of women looking to do a positive thing.

            Lastly, the author puts a very substantial emphasis on the fact that the right to vote should be given to all people regardless of race, gender, intellect, etc. Everyone has a voice no matter what amount of education or social status one has. She sums up her thoughts when she says, “Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [Intellect, someone whispers.] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negro’s rights?” (510). She believes that the country’s affairs should not be dictated by the most intellectual people, and everybody should have the right to vote even if they are not the brightest. To her, rights were to be given to all people, and she was bold enough to stand up and voice her opinion when the odds were clearly stacked against her.

In conclusion, Truth’s writing addresses a major issue that was prevalent to her time, and she unquestionably made a large impact with her blunt style of writing. She thought that the bias against African Americans and the women would soon succumb to their unyielding tenacity to gain the right to vote, and she was correct. The impact and influence of her writings played a major part in advancing support for the right to vote for both groups, and she undeniably made a significant impression on the history surrounding the question of who should have the right to vote.