Sojourner Truth

Antonia Sanders
October 9, 2009
AP English III
Sojourner Truth
Both Aren’t I Woman and 1881 Account by Frances Gage (or is it by Sojourner Truth? The Debate Continues) speeches are giving the same message but they both have different meaning. One is written in the perspective of a Caucasian woman and one is the original message that Sojourner Truth has wrote. I would say that the original one would be the one I could relate to better by text is wrote by Sojourner Truth.
In that case I would simply go with the passage that had the most slang written in it. I think that she wrote this story with the slang in it because I know for a fact that most slaves where illiterate and non educated. I can also relate better with that passage because I understand it better and I clearly get what she is saying. “I have borne thirteen chilern, and seen ‘em mos’ all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And a’n’t I a woman?” While saying this quote Sojourner uses a courageous tone because she saying even though she has lost her own children and have seen them get sold into slavery she still stood a strong woman. She also uses ethos to show her audience even though she has been through rough times that she is a woman who won’t let anything get her down. “Dat man ober dar say dat womin needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted ober ditches, and to hab de best place everywhere. Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud puddles, or gibs me any best place!” And raising herself to her full height , and her voice to a pitch like rolling thunders, she asked “Ans a’n’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! (and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous muscular power)”. Well in this quote she’s actually going off. She uses a simile when she compares her voice to thunder to explain and show how she can act just like a man but she can do it better, and she shows off her tremendous muscles. She says how nobody helps her do not a damn thing, but look she can do bad all by herself. She doesn’t need a man to help her do this and that she’s a “woman” and those are things that make you a woman. Sojourner speaks with empowerment in her quotes and uses them with pathos and ethos. She doesn’t give in certain details to how she is feeling about certain things but her punctuations and diction shows it in a way. “And her voice to a pitch like rolling thunders, she asked “And a’n’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at me! Look at my arm!”. The word thunder describes how high and loud she was talking, and all the exclamation marks points out that she was angry which is significant.
In the other story Sojourner Truth: Aren’t I a Woman? I agree that Frances Gage wrote that story. The way she writes the message changes the whole meaning. Her text is more formal and more literate. I find it way more boring to read her story than I would the other one because the way she states things. “What’s that got to do with woman’s rights or Negroes’ rights?” I usually don’t hear a lot of African Americans referring to themselves as “Negroes” that’s why I find it a little awkward for Sojourner Truth to have wrote this story, and that I believe Frances Gage wrote it over but in her own words. Her words don’t make me get excited and inspired from reading it at all.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Antonia Sanders
October 5, 2009
AP English III
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
In this story a slave girl by the name of Linda tells us about all the things she has been through with being a slave. She uses different writing styles like pathos, ethos, diction, and tone to show how and what she felt about certain things. As you can see even though she actually wrote this story, the authors name says Harriet Jacobs. This is significant because you see how African Americans had no voice.
While reading this story I saw that these slave owners had different personalities. They all showed that they were in control by words or actions. A lot of slave owners made the slaves feel bad and uncomfortable from the cold looks, cold words, and cold treatment they gave. “Dr. Flint was an epicure. The cook never sent a dinner to his table without fear and trembling; for if there happened to be a dish not to his liking, he would either order her to be whipped, or compel her to eat every mouthful of it in his presence”. In these I look at Dr. Flint as an abusive monster from the diction the writer uses. The words fear, trembling, whipped, and compel gives me this impression. Only someone who is cruel forces people to eat things and would whip them for something dumb. “This poor woman endured many cruelties from her master and mistress; sometimes she was locked up, away from her nursing baby, for a whole day and night”. These lines show that these slave owners had no heart and were selfish. They imprisoned someone and kept them from her baby with no problem. “I saw the cowhide still wet with blood, and the boards all covered with gore”. This quote shows how badly beaten slaves were. They were beaten until blood came out of their bodies. “The mistress, who ought to protect the helpless victim, has no other feelings towards her but those of jealousy and rage”. What the writer is basically trying to say is that since the men have sex with the slave girls this makes the mistresses angry which makes them act violent. They get jealous knowing that there husband is having sex with another girl (a slave at that), but why is it the slaves fault?
The treatment that Linda has received makes her as well as others feel like they are nothing. They are the property of others which means they can’t hold any property. The parents who had children basically were not in charge anymore because their children had to listen to their master before their parent. “They thought he had spoiled his children, by teaching them to feel that they were human being. This was blasphemous doctrine for a slave to teach; presumptuous in him and dangerous to the masters”. This quote is full of cramp in my opinion because basically what is being told is that parents weren’t allowed to teach their child that they were human. Masters found this disrespectful, for what reason though? “He peopled my young mind with unclean images, such as only a vile monster could think of. I turned from him with disgust and hatred”. Linda uses pathos to express her feeling about her master by using the word hatred and disgust. At the end of the story Linda states “O, what days and nights of fear and sorrow that man caused me”. Without saying exactly what her master did to her readers should get a good understanding that she has been raped plenty of times because in the quote above she calls him a vile monster. In this quote she doesn’t say his name she refers to him as “that man” which I see that she has no respect for him. He has beat her, raped her, said file things to her, lowered her self-esteem, degraded her, and just messed up her whole life so yea she should feel that way about him.

The Story of An Hour

Antonia Sanders
September 29, 2009
AP English III
The Story of An Hour
Kate Chopin
Many women maybe in unhappy and unhealthy marriages which can have you act upon being an emotional rollercoaster. Kate Chopin writes this story to give readers a vivid picture on how things can affect you and make your heart become very ill. Something was told in this story and it had a great affect on a lady named Mrs. Mallard. She feels grief, freedom, and then sad again in this story.
When Mrs. Mallard hears the news about her husband she suddenly feels grief. She has great pain about hearing about her husband. “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms”. In this quote you can see how Mrs. Mallard cries and how she abandons herself from the news. She also sits alone in room and looks out the window where she is “pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and reached into her soul”. This shows that physically the death is making her tired which also affects her soul and is taking a toll on her. Kate Chopin’s diction she uses helps readers get a better understanding on what emotions Mrs. Mallard is feeling. She uses words like crying, faintly, motionless, and dull.
Mrs. Mallard suddenly changes tremendously wants this sinks in her head. She suddenly begins to say “free, free, free!” These words show that she has opened her eyes to see that she can begin her a new life. Readers may think from her saying this that her marriage may have been bad, she wasn’t happy being with her husband, or she was locked down and couldn’t live her life how she wanted. The ways her eyes change from terror to them staying bright and keen shows a sign of relief and joy she feels. Kate Chopin states “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself”. This quote shows us that all along while being married Mrs. Mallard had no life of her own she was living her life for someone else. Now that she thinks her husband is dead she is free to do what she wants and likes to do.
Mrs. Mallard acted like an emotional rollercoaster which may had caused to her death. At first she was mourning about the death of her husband that she sometimes loved but often she didn’t. Then she had a change of heart about being sad because reality sunk in and she knew she was free. All of a sudden at the end of the story when her sister comes to her room she breaks down again. She then gets astonished from seeing her husband who was supposed to be dead coming in the house. As it was said in the beginning of the story Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble. All the emotions that crossed her mind and ran through her body made it even worse and was the cause of her dying because of the heart disease.
In the end I saw that being in a marriage that you are not happy in can make break you, but once something bad comes along you may have many emotions. Kate Chopin main purpose was to show readers that Mrs. Mallard could have embarked a life of freedom that she didn’t see coming to her. Unfortunately she doesn’t get that chance because her freedom soon dies.

The Wiz

Antonia Sanders
September 22, 2009
AP English III
The Wiz
Dorothy is a girl who has to find herself and ends up doing that when she is taken on a journey. She comes across people and many obstacles but still manages to find her way in the end. It takes her to go on this journey to become a woman instead of a young lady who was afraid of new things.
In the beginning of the story Dorothy depends on others to do things for her. She doesn’t know the meaning of “independence” because she has never left her home and experienced more places in her lifetime. She refuses to get a better job to where she can earn more money and she’s afraid or shy to have a boyfriend in her life. Her aunt wants her to get out and try things on her own. She doesn’t want Dorothy to have to depend on others for the rest of her life.
Well while being taken to another place Dorothy has to depend on herself if she wants to get back to her hometown. On her journey she comes across three people a scarecrow, tin- man, and a lion. All four of these characters have their own problems in which they deal with together. They quickly build a bond together and become like this family. They care for each other and help each other when something happens.
There was a scene when the lion tries to jump off a cliff but Dorothy saves him. They all begin to show a sign of independence after that incident and they sing a song. In the song they all say how they are a “lion” and are strong, brave, and courageous. This shows that all of them are starting to have faith in themselves. Courage, heart, and brain can best be described for Dorothy. In the beginning it didn’t seem like she didn’t have much of a big heart and she just tried to escape from others, her brain was only focused on one thing which made her not wanting to accomplish other things in life, and she didn’t have a lot of courage. While the movie progressed she met new people who she cared for and helped them with things they couldn’t do for themselves, and she began to feel more courage in herself.
In the movie The Wiz many of the characters each learned something new. They clicked together, helped each other, and became a family. Each one learned how to be independent and what it really meant to do things for themselves.

Edward Taylor Huswifery

Antonia Sanders
September 9, 2009
AP English III
Edward Taylor Huswifery

Many people may show their affection for God in different ways. Edward Taylor wants to be this spinning wheel for his Lord. He uses all these unique ideas to how he can be used in many ways.
In Edward’s first stanza he uses sort of a metaphor analogy sort of style. “Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat; Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee. Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate, And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to be” (Lines 1-4). In these lines he basically saying that he first wants God to use or make him like a spinning wheel. He uses parts from a spinning wheel and is asking God to make him into something like the objects. Edward compares his affections to the flyers that is on a spinning wheel. Just as the flyers on a spinning wheel regulates the action or movement he wants the Lords to change his actions or behavior so it can become better and neater.
In his second stanza he still uses metaphors. “Make me thy Loome then, knit therein this Twine. And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, winde quill. Then dy the same in Heavenly Colorus Choice All pinkt with Varnish’t Flowers of Paradise” (Line 7, 11-12). Now that he has the yarn he now wants to weave it into cloth. Just as he mentioned in his first stanza something about the Spoole, which guides the thread while sewing, he wants God to guide him like wind quills while weaving. While making his fabric he does it using fine colors and decorates it beautifully. But he only uses colors of the choice of his Lord.
Lastly he talks about this piece of clothing which is finished. “Then cloath therewith mine Understanding, Will, Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory; My Words and Actions, that their shine may fill My wayes with glory and thee glorify” (Lines 13-16). This piece of cloth that has been created will lead him on a good path. Every time he wears his clothing he will walk with glory and glorify his wonderful God. This robe he has made I think has changed who he is as a person and made he better than what he was.
Edward describes each aspect of the spinning wheel and how it can fit into his life style. I think the whole purpose of Edward writing this poem was to show us readers how God can change use and make us useful for the good. He first goes to being fabric then to becoming this wonderful robe which was created by his Lord.

Anne Bradstreet

Antonia Sanders
September 3, 2009
AP English III
The Author to Her Book and To My Dear and Loving Husband
Anne Bradstreet has different writing techniques. She uses figurative language such as metaphors, tone, and diction. In her two poems she has two completely different purposes and expresses her feelings in strange ways.
While doing some of her writing Anne Bradstreet uses metaphors in some cases. In her poem The Author to Her Book she makes a statement saying “Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain” (line 1). In this line she compares her book to a child and she plays the mother to the book. In her other poem To My Dear and Loving Husband she uses metaphors also. “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold Or all the riches that the East dost hold” (lines 5-6). She is comparing her husband’s love to gold and riches. She also is saying in these lines how nothing in the world can top his love, and how love is better than any gold and all the riches. This quote also has diction in it. Bradstreet uses the word “prize” to show us readers that her husband’s love is a gift to her that she cherishes.
In the two poems that she has written she has different tones to express her feelings. In the poem The Author to Her Book she says “At thy return my blushing was not small” (line 7). Her tone is full of embarrassment and I know this because she mentions how she was blushing a lot. She also says “My rambling brat” (line 7) which she shows how she feels about this book. I think her tone is disappointment. Basically she is talking about how her writing can be out of order like a child that misbehaves. In Bradstreet poem To My Dear and Loving Husband she uses pathos to describe her emotion. “Then while we live in love let’s persevere That when we live no more, we may live ever (line 11-12). She’s so in love with this guy and she feels she can’t live without him. She wants to be with this person for eternity, and there love is so strong that it could never die.
The author has a purpose for writing both of her poems. Her purpose for writing The Author to Her Book was to tell readers how she felt about her writing while she uses certain types of writing styles. Throughout the whole essay her book is like a child. Just like you can stretch out a child’s leg she did that with her book as long as with dressing it. So she uses personification a little bit. She goes in to how at first she didn’t like how she writes to saying at the end she like her poetry and has pride in it. The purpose of her other poem To My Dear and Loving Husband she is basically showing us readers that love is everything. She’s in love with her husband and isn’t afraid to let anybody know it. She and her husband are like one and their love is strong. She feels that their love will live on and thinks that is a beautiful thing.
This author has very good writing techniques. The first poem was a little crazy but the second one about her being in love was so good. She shows readers how she feels by using pathos and other writing styles.

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry Gods

Antonia Sanders
September 2, 2009
AP English III
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
This story sums of the facts on why this author believes people should be sent to hell. He uses different types of writing styles and supports all his reasons to why he believes in what he thinks. His strong opinions and the way he says certain things gives you clear imagery of what he thinks.
Jonathan Edwards uses figurative language while writing his story. He uses similes to describe two objects that are totally different but compares them. “The devils watch them; they are ever by them at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey”. In this quote he describes the devil to a lion. What he basically is saying is just like a lion gets real hungry or desperate when they see something they want, the devils gets real desperate for people to come down to hell with it. He also uses another simile which was “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell”. Edwards states how people can be so evil, that their wickedness can be so heavy that they weigh themselves down all the way to hell.
Edward also uses imagery which gives readers a vivid picture on what he is talking about. “The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire bent up in their own hearts struggling to get out”. In this quote I get almost a good picture in my head to what hell is like and how it is thirsty to burn bodies. In this quote there is also personification that Edwards uses. He gives the fire a human quality of swallowing and holding people which we know it can’t do.
He has a central message which is God has more power over anyone and he determines what’s going to happen. “The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given….If God should withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury”. This quote is most significant because Edwards shows the great power in which God has. This wrath can build up so high and strong when one does wrong. If one continues to do wrong it continues to go higher and is stronger until God feels like he wants to let out his wrath of water. When he does this wrath will knock you out so hard from the power God has that you wouldn’t have no strength.
Jonathon Edwards has very strong opinions on life and he gives reasons for why he thinks people should go to hell. He thinks it’s only right for people to be under God. If one tries to be above they should go to hell. He is a crazy man in my opinion and thinks a lot of people are wicked for dumb reasons.