"And Ain't I a Woman?"

"And Ain't I a Woman?" was an address to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 delivered by Sojourner Truth, an important activist for women's and slave's rights. This speech is more Regionalist than Realist or Naturalist. Regionalism works use the dialect of the characters' area. Since this is a speech, there are no definite characters, but the dialect is still there. Even in the title of the speech, the rest of the speech's word usage should be apparent. The use of the word "ain't" should point toward a background in the South, which Sojourner Truth has. The reader can also infer that Truth felt very comfortable with her audience. She even converses with them and points them out at times such as when she says, "Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it?" Someone in the audience whispers intellect and Truth responds with "That's it, honey." (Truth 370). This plain, relaxed dialogue is indicative of Regionalism.

This speech is not very closely associated with naturalism. It does feature a common heroine from a lower class of society, but that is about it. There is not really any human nature at play here, unless you count wanting to be equal with men a part of human nature. Truth does not take a psychological approach to her view on equality for women. This speech is also not in any way about survival or fate, so it would not fit very comfortably under the title of a Naturalist work. Sojourner Truth is also not the type of woman to sit back and let fate play out. No, she is going to fight for women's rights. This is another thing that sets her apart from Naturalist writers. She did not trust in fate to get her out of slavery, and she did not trust in fate to get equal rights for women.

This speech could also be called Realism in nature because Truth presented a scenario that did actually happen in real life. She was also pretty detailed in her complaints against men. For example, "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?" (Truth 370). She gets specific, and calls upon things that a man actually said he thought women needed help with. She tells the truth that women deserve equal rights to men in a frank and understandable manner. This is also in the style of Realism.

This was a very powerful speech, despite its short length. It is fortunate that we had a forward-thinker like her to bring about women's rights. She thought about realistic ways to get equality for women, and her speech "And Ain't I a Woman", reflects her Realist attitude. To some, this speech may sound like bitter complaints from a bitter woman, but for the most part, I think she was just stating the facts that she had seen throughout her life and saying that something needed to change.

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?" Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 370. Print.