Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Text Analysis; Declaration of Sentiments Seneca Falls Convention 1848


Text Analysis 2: The Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848

1.       What is the author arguing? In this Declaration of Sentiments, the Seneca Falls Convention, the author is arguing for the rights of women. The author is making a voice for women, arguing for the fact that they deserve rights of their own, they deserve the same things that men are entitled too.  The author is arguing that a man and a woman although a different sex, still a human being, and not one is more entitled or important than the other. The author is also NOT arguing that men are necessarily wrong, nor is the author putting them down. Just trying to justify what is right for women as well.

2.       How does the author appeal to logos (logic), pathos (emotional quality), and ethos (the writers perceived character)?   To start off with, the author appeals to logic by using what I see to be common sense? Where in any document does it say that a man is more important than a woman? Where in any document does it say women should not have rights, simply because they are women? It does. So why must they act like a woman is not entitled to anything? Next, the author appeals to pathos by speaking of things like “He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead”, and “He has taken from her, all her right in property even the wages she earns”. Stuff like that hits deep for a lot of people. Like working a long hard day and not being able to be in charge of any of your money. Be you a man or a woman, it would be upsetting. The author also uses powerful language. Like in the quote above when it says “civilly dead”. Death is a strong analogy, so you know she is no more. And lastly, the author expresses ethos by in the last paragraph saying that women have admission to all the rights and privileges that they deserved, the author is not asking that anything be taken from the men, just simply that women get the same rights. The author is an equal person.

3.       What is the historical significance of this document? This document is significant and important for the fact that, this was written in a time period when women had NO rights, had no voice. It was the beginning of a new world for these women; they were challenging the men that had always belittled them before. It was a brave move. But worth it so that equality could come to them.

4.       Do you find the authors argument convincing? Why or why not? For me this was an easy document for me to read and be convinced by. I think mainly because I am a woman, and I couldn’t imagine myself without rights, or without a voice. But also because it just isn’t right to put one sex above or before another. It’s cruel and immoral to degrade someone no matter what, and therefore I am 100% convinced by this authors argement.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Kendall
    I would have to disagree with you on your first part about how he is not arguing that men are wrong or putting them down because I think that the author is doing that. At the beginning of each of their evidences they have the words “He has” which is always followed by a negative word. I think this author was really passionate about these beliefs and had a bit of anger toward men.
    I would also have to disagree with you about your logos. I think that there were some documents that degraded women, and wouldn’t allow them to vote and such. But they do make a good point that the United States was built on the idea that all men were created equal, so they had a lot to fight for under those promises. I do agree with your pathos though. A lot of the word choice is very powerful and you can tell that the author really wanted freedom and rights for women. After reading it, I also felt a little upset with the men in charge. I didn’t realize there were that many ways that they degraded women, and because there was so many ways and so much evidence, that could also be pathos. As for your ethos, I think that is great too. The author wants what’s only best for the people, and doesn’t want to punish the men, just ask for quality.
    For historical significance you have it spot on. Women in the present have rights, and if this document hadn’t been written or organized, it could’ve been much, much later that we got rights or respect. Plus this shows that if there is something really wrong with the government, we can fight for our liberties. It might not always work, and it hasn’t always in the past, but we do deserve it. Like you said; bravery.
    I am also a woman so I understand you completely. This document even hit home with me, I used to be with his Russian guy and his cultural beliefs are that women are far less superior to men. Feeling so degraded by that, I know a little of what these women of that day felt and so I very much respect them for standing up for themselves. The argument is clear and professional also, I agree with it 100%.
    -Gracea

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