Susan B. Anthony’s Speech Analysis: Rhetorical Devices, Purpose, & More
📢 susan b. anthony speech analysis – introduction, 📝 logos in susan b. anthony’s speech, ✍️ ethos in susan b. anthony’s speech, 📜 historical parallels in susan b. anthony’s speech, ↪️ susan b. anthony speech rhetorical analysis – summary, 💡 work cited.
The speech delivered by Susan B. Anthony following her arrest for casting a vote in the presidential election stands as a remarkable exemplar of American oratory. In “On Women’s Right to Vote,” Anthony set forth a clear objective: to persuade her audience that women’s suffrage was not only constitutionally justified but also a fundamental right, as inherently granted to men. To achieve her goal, Anthony deftly employed a combination of logos, ethos, and historical parallels, weaving together a persuasive argument that resonated deeply with her listeners. With skillful logical reasoning, Susan B. Anthony established her credibility through ethos and cleverly linked the struggles of women to the historical struggle for equality. Anthony delivered a powerful and convincing plea for women’s right to vote. Her succinct yet impactful rhetoric not only left an indelible mark on the suffrage movement but also solidified her position as a key figure in the fight for women’s rights in American history. Read this essay sample of Susan B. Anthony’s speech analysis to learn more about her purpose, contribution, and rhetorical devices used.
Logos is, by far, the most prominent rhetorical strategy used in the speech. Essentially, the core of the author’s argument is a classical syllogism: the Constitution secures liberties for all people, women are people – therefore, women should enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution – including suffrage – as much as men. She even adopts the form of a syllogism directly when she speaks of this discrimination from a legal perspective.
Any law that contradicts the universal suffrage is unconstitutional, and restrictions on voting are in contradiction to the Constitution – therefore, such law is “a violation of the supreme law of the land” (Anthony 5). Thus, Anthony represents her thesis – that women have the right to vote and restricting it is against the spirit and letter of the Constitution – as an inevitable logical conclusion of an impartial inquiry into the matter.
Anthony’s use of ethos is not typical, but all the more impressive because of that. Closer to the end of her speech, she mentions that the only way do deny citizens’ rights to women is to deny they are persons and doubts that her opponents “will have the hardihood to say they are not” (Anthony 8). As a rule, the speaker tries to establish credibility by pointing to something that makes him or her more competent to speak on a given topic than others, be that knowledge or personal experience. However, Anthony does not opt for that – rather, she appeals to a bare minimum of credibility a sentient creature is entitled to: being considered a person. While not elevating her above the audience, this appeal to credibility is still enough for her rhetorical purpose.
To further her case and root it in the audience’s relatively recent experiences, Anthony also draws a historical parallel with the emancipation and enfranchisement of former slaves. She emphasizes that the Constitution says, “we, the people; not we, the white male citizens” (Anthony 4). This specific reference to whiteness is a clear reference to the 15 th Amendment prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on color, race, or previous condition of servitude.
By linking the issue of women’s suffrage to voting rights for black citizens, Anthony claims the former is an important progressive endeavor, just like the latter. This parallel is likely an attempt to appeal to the audience’s self-perception as progressive citizens of a free country. The implicit reasoning is clear: those who decided that race is an obstacle for casting a ballot cannot, in all honesty, claim that the gender is.
As one can see, Susan B. Anthony’s 1873 speech combines logos, ethos, and historical parallels to make a case for women’s voting rights. Anthony’s appeals to logic are simple and clear syllogisms based on the Constitution itself. She claims no greater credibility that is due to any sentient being, but that is just enough for her rhetorical purpose. Finally, a historical parallel with the recent enfranchisements of citizens of all races appeals to the audience’s sense of justice and self-perception as progressive people.
Anthony, Susan B. “ On Women’s Right to Vote. ” The History Place .
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Rhetorical Analysis of Susan B. Anthony's Speech Essay Sample
In 1873, Susan B. Anthony delivered a speech persuading her audience that women should have the right to vote. Anthony voted in the presidential election and was convicted of a crime. She wrote her speech to take a stand and fight for women to have one of the most basic citizen's rights. Anthony developed her argument using the persuasive techniques Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
Susan B. Anthony uses Ethos to support that women should have the right to vote. She uses a definition from the dictionaries Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier. In her speech she recites, “Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office” (Anthony). Anthony refers to 3 well-known dictionaries which lets her audience know that she has taken her information from a credible source. The reason she adds in this definition is because the definition states that a person in the United States should have the right to vote. Anthony wants her audience to make the connection that women who are people in the United States should be able to vote.
The other persuasive technique that Susan B. Anthony uses is Pathos. She uses family as an example of how the way the American government would work in a home. She recites, “...which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters, of every household - which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord, and rebellion into every home of the nation…” (Anthony). She uses this example because her audience can make a connection with their own home and put this example into action in their own family. She shows in her speech that if a family ran like the government that America had all male family members including fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons have power over all mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.
The last persuasive technique that Susan B. Anthony uses is Logos. In Anthony’s argument she asks a rhetorical question. She recites, “The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons?” (Anthony). She asks this question because the answer is logical, yes, women are people. The connection that Anthony wants readers to make is that because women are people they should have voting rights like the other people of the United States do.
Susan B. Anthony uses three persuasive techniques to convince her audience that women should have the right to vote. The techniques she uses are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. In her example of Ethos she used a definition from the Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier dictionaries. For her Pathos example she connects the American government to families. Lastly, for her Logos example she asks a rhetorical question that leaves her audience answering with a logical statement. Susan B. Anthony uses all three techniques to convince her audience that women should have the right to vote.
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Analysis of Susan B. Anthony's Speech on Women's Rights to Vote
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Published: Aug 16, 2019
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Rhetorical Analysis of Women's Right to Vote. All through history, there have been numerous talks that have numerous and enormous effect on society, however one that will never be overlooked is the speech by Susan B. Anthony, "On Women's Right to Vote."
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In 1873, Susan B. Anthony delivered a speech persuading her audience that women should have the right to vote. Anthony voted in the presidential election and was convicted of a crime. She wrote her speech to take a stand and fight for women to have one of the most basic citizen's rights.
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