And Ain't I a Woman?

"And Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth is another work of Regionalism because it is told by a very southern lady in a very southern dialect. Her use of the words "honey" and "children" and vernacular along those lines makes it very obvious that she is from the South (Truth). The effects of this regional technique makes people feel comfortable and natural listening to her and empathize with what she is trying to get across. Her use of language is crucial to her cause, because it makes people more likely to sympathize with her cause because the problem she was addressing was important in her region. The use of regional language made her seem to be more of an authority on the topic considering that it was native to her region, although there were many areas of the country that had a struggle with women's rights (Truth).

Sojourner Truth addresses ideas that are very applicable to the time period during which she is writing them, which is characteristic of Realism. She addresses the ideas of women's rights, specifically for the black woman (Truth). During this time period women did not have that many rights, which she was trying to speak out against. And although white women did not have very many rights as far as real estate ownership and the ability to work and all that that entails, they were still treated with respect and dignity. Men believed in treating white women as though they were fragile and precious creatures to be treated as such. However, African American women were not given these same respects, which Sojourner Truth saw as extremely unjust (Truth).

The way Sojourner Truth appeals to one particular region is especially important to Regionalism. Because she focuses on the south, her ideas have more credentials. It is a well-known fact that southerners have usually been known for their hospitality. You often hear references to Southern charm or Southern hospitality. This is why it was all the more shocking and hurtful that African American women, who were members of this society and not just guests to the area, were not treated with the utmost respect. If strangers could be treated well, the women should be treated well also.

Realism is a genre that focuses on real life issues and their importance (Werlock). Because this work was written in 1851, it was one of the frontrunners of this new genre. It was also unique in the way that it addressed the rights of women which were not very high in those times. Before this genre was established things like this were not discussed. As the greater meaning of things started to fade away with the fading of Romanticism, real stories and important things started to have a bigger stage in the literature scene (Werlock). Things that were actually relevant to the time period became what people actually wanted to write about. This was a very crucial and important step towards resolving important issues. With the arrival of Realism and Regionalism came steps in the right direction towards reforms that were soon to come in all different areas of life in America.

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 370.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).