Sojourner Truth Am I a Woman in Reality
Celina Turner
June 25, 2013
English 101 (online)
2nd Assignment. “The American Dream." Choose 2 articles and write a detailed discussion of how the idea of the American Dream is filled with contradictions in reality.
In Truths “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, Truth spoke about the differences between the concerns of white women and those of black women.
Truth was against all prejudice of white men who thought that white women should not do do anything to tire themselves mentally or physically. During that time, the notion that black women might overexert themselves physically would have been laughable to the white community. As Truth stated, “”Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place! Ain’t I a woman?”
Black women have had the unique experience of being both stripped of our sex and sexuality even as we are either sexually or sexually put down by the white community. Sadly, as I will show, this is not a problem that has disappeared with slavery.
White women in the 1800s were certainly treated as second class citizens by their white male counterparts. On the other hand, in status, white women occupied a position that was far superior to that of most people of color and certainly to that of black people.
On the other hand, in status, white women occupied a position that was far superior to that of most people of color and certainly to that of black people. In some parts of the United States, a black man could be killed for admiring a white woman no matter her economic status or standing.
Third or fourth class citizen, however, does not even begin to describe the lives of most black women during slavery. In general, blacks were perceived by whites as subhuman. In fact, white people often treated their dogs and other beastly animals better than they treated black people. In fact during that time period, whites’ treatment of their pets could often be characterized as caring, loving while their treatment of black people could more
June 25, 2013
English 101 (online)
2nd Assignment. “The American Dream." Choose 2 articles and write a detailed discussion of how the idea of the American Dream is filled with contradictions in reality.
In Truths “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, Truth spoke about the differences between the concerns of white women and those of black women.
Truth was against all prejudice of white men who thought that white women should not do do anything to tire themselves mentally or physically. During that time, the notion that black women might overexert themselves physically would have been laughable to the white community. As Truth stated, “”Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place! Ain’t I a woman?”
Black women have had the unique experience of being both stripped of our sex and sexuality even as we are either sexually or sexually put down by the white community. Sadly, as I will show, this is not a problem that has disappeared with slavery.
White women in the 1800s were certainly treated as second class citizens by their white male counterparts. On the other hand, in status, white women occupied a position that was far superior to that of most people of color and certainly to that of black people.
On the other hand, in status, white women occupied a position that was far superior to that of most people of color and certainly to that of black people. In some parts of the United States, a black man could be killed for admiring a white woman no matter her economic status or standing.
Third or fourth class citizen, however, does not even begin to describe the lives of most black women during slavery. In general, blacks were perceived by whites as subhuman. In fact, white people often treated their dogs and other beastly animals better than they treated black people. In fact during that time period, whites’ treatment of their pets could often be characterized as caring, loving while their treatment of black people could more