Karmen Collins
TR
8:00-9:15am
Corbly Hall
#306

Sojourner Truth

Biographical information on the author

Isabella Van Wagenen whom everyone knows her as Sojourner Truth was born into world as well as slavery in 1797 in New York. She was born into a huge family, one of thirteen. As a young child she wasn’t close with her brothers and sisters because they were quickly sold off to become slaves. As well as her brothers and sister she was quickly sold off to become a slave to the master of Mr. Dumont who arranged for her to marry another slave by the name of Thomas. She wed Thomas and soon had become pregnant bearing five children. Mr. Dumont sold her children as soon as they were the age to work.

Isabella was a remarkable and smart woman despite her illiteracy. She was released from Mr. Dumont following the New York Anti Slavery Law of 1827. She moved on to live with a Quaker family who gave her an education and helped get back one of her kids.

Isabella was a tall lean 5 foot 11 inch female of which she put to use. She became an outspoken female at the woman’s rights and also the blacks’ rights. In 1843 that is when she changed her Isabella Van Wagenen to Sojourner Truth.

Sojourner Truth continued to travel and help out Black troops during the Civil War and she spoke at different events from northwest and Midwest from her home in Battle Creek. Sojourner then died in Michigan in 1883 at the age of 84.

Brief Summary of Essay

In the essay “Aren’t I Woman?” Sojourner stresses the main points she is trying to make as an African-American Female. Sojourner talks about how African-American women were treated the complete opposite from Caucasian women as far as daily living. What I mean by daily living is shopping, asking for things, being helped into carriages, being helped over dirty ditches and eating in the best places. She also talks about how her master treated her as if she had special treatment. She releases her anger by saying I have plowed, planted and gathered into barns and your saying I’m not good enough. I work just as hard as a man; even harder and your saying I’m still not good enough. I bear the lash and eat just as much and I’m still not good enough. Sojourner is trying to prove everything a black woman can do maybe even more then a man and she is asking who ever is listening, “Aren’t I A Woman?”.

Questions the essay raises for you

I feel as though Sojourner is presenting more then two points of view that are very important and are still important today. One is Women’s Rights, another is African-American Rights, and the last is Slavery. All three issues were very important and still are important in today’s societies. I also feel as though she is contradicting herself because first she says she should be helped everywhere she goes because she is a female and then she complains when she gets special treatment because she is a female.

Themes

Sojourner Truth repeats one phrase throughout the whole essay which is “Aren’t I A Woman?”

Ideas for genres I might explore in my final project

Other ideas for my genres later on in my project on Sojourner Truth are newspapers, movies, magazines, books, clothes, music, speeches, movements, associates, and education.

Karmen Collins
TR
8:00-9:15AM
Corbly Hall
#306
9/12/02

“Remembered Event”

When Sojourner Truth was older she became to realize how the society was around her and how different everything is out in the real world. When I was younger my mother use to tell me how things worked that didn’t even experience yet and how things were that I didn’t see, but I didn’t suspect that I would actually experience it and the age of eleven in sixth grade. As a young child all the way up to high school I lived in a predominantly Caucasian environment. All my friends; males and females were Caucasian. I participated in activities and athletics to become popular since I did dominate in those areas. So every Friday I would help sponsor dances at my school and other events with my friends. It just so happened one day a girl in my science class named Nicole asked if she could catch a ride that Friday night to the dance with me and I said sure I will call Thursday night to let you know what time I will pick you up. I went and asked my dad and he said yes so I called Nicole and told her what time and everything was settled. After that incident we became good friends and we would talk in class and call each other but I wouldn’t go over her house. Well I remember one day we got into an argument in the middle of science class and she called me a “NIGGER”. At that split second I remember all blood just rushing to my head from being so pissed off at her. I immediately released my anger by cursing her out. I just remembered wanting to just hit her as hard as I could right in her mouth for saying that to me, but something stopped me. Until this day I don’t know what stopped me, but from that moment on I never talked to her again. I remembered my mother calling the school and complaining saying she should get some kind of punishment for saying that to a classmate in class. I would come into school the next couple of days and seeing her and not even wanting to look her in the eye thinking I would just make myself even madder thinking about it. She came up to me and apologized and I didn’t except it and she even wrote me a note saying she was sorry and I gave it right back to her with no response.

As I grew up into my teenager years I never forget what was said to me and how much remorse I felt towards that girl. I didn’t know it then, but now I know what my mother was stressing to me for all those years that I didn’t want to hear. I guess from that experience I just watch who my friends are and how close I should get and be to them. I remembering thinking to myself was there something I said to make her say that, and I told my mother how I felt and she disagreed with me. My mother said no matter how mad you made her there was no reason for her to say that to you. Even if she was or wasn’t your friend that is not something you just say on an everyday basis. I responded to my mother as if I understood when I was still confused. I still didn’t understand why? I never called her a name because of her culture background. Now that I am older, once again I understand that all people are not the same and have the same way of thinking.
I look back now and realize one of the reasons she called me a “NIGGER” was because she new it would make even madder then I already was, which I think is very wrong. Even though she apologized for her actions I never forgave for what she said. I don’t think I ever will.