analysis
Rhetorical Analysis: The Crisis
Brandiford
Mercy
Rhetorical Analysis: The Crisis Carrie Chapman Catt, a strong, independent woman, believed she could make a difference by standing up for women’s rights, not only to vote, but to work as well. Catt explained how the United States would benefit from women’s rights not only economically, but socially. “The Woman’s Hour has struck,” (Catt, 1916) is a perfect way to sum up what her message is trying to explain. She repeats this throughout the speech because her words pack a punch. Not only does this quote sum everything up, but it is also something that the women of America can remember and understand. Great Britain and Europe have already opened the doors for women to help out their society by allowing women to work in weaponry and to work on the fields that feed the nation. America is behind because they simply fear what they do not know. An unknown man from West Virginia said, “we’ve been so used to keepin’ our women down, ‘twould seem queer not to” (p. 786). Catt clarifies how this quote enlightened the matter completely. Europe is one of the first to acknowledge how women are holding together the civilization of which men are at war. Catt (1916) explained, “A great search-light has been thrown upon the business of nation-building and it has been demonstrated in every European land that it is a partnership with equal, but different responsibilities resting upon the two partners” (p.787). Simply put, one nation cannot work without the contribution of both men and women. At the end of the war, women should be able to continue with their freedom. Just because this war is over does not mean that America should back pedal. A woman’s rights to work where they please and to speak up for their beliefs is a major step forward for any country. No country would want to move backward in society when so many positive effects came from this huge step forward towards women’s rights.
Brandiford
Mercy
Rhetorical Analysis: The Crisis Carrie Chapman Catt, a strong, independent woman, believed she could make a difference by standing up for women’s rights, not only to vote, but to work as well. Catt explained how the United States would benefit from women’s rights not only economically, but socially. “The Woman’s Hour has struck,” (Catt, 1916) is a perfect way to sum up what her message is trying to explain. She repeats this throughout the speech because her words pack a punch. Not only does this quote sum everything up, but it is also something that the women of America can remember and understand. Great Britain and Europe have already opened the doors for women to help out their society by allowing women to work in weaponry and to work on the fields that feed the nation. America is behind because they simply fear what they do not know. An unknown man from West Virginia said, “we’ve been so used to keepin’ our women down, ‘twould seem queer not to” (p. 786). Catt clarifies how this quote enlightened the matter completely. Europe is one of the first to acknowledge how women are holding together the civilization of which men are at war. Catt (1916) explained, “A great search-light has been thrown upon the business of nation-building and it has been demonstrated in every European land that it is a partnership with equal, but different responsibilities resting upon the two partners” (p.787). Simply put, one nation cannot work without the contribution of both men and women. At the end of the war, women should be able to continue with their freedom. Just because this war is over does not mean that America should back pedal. A woman’s rights to work where they please and to speak up for their beliefs is a major step forward for any country. No country would want to move backward in society when so many positive effects came from this huge step forward towards women’s rights.