Hypophora: Unveiling the Power of Susan B. Anthony’s Speech on Women’s Right to Vote

The art of speech has multiple components that make it persuasive and inviting. The use of rhetorical devices is what makes an address interesting and also invokes the curiosity of the audience. Throughout the hardship that women had during the Women's Right Movement, many women stood on stages and presented speeches that left the audience flabbergasted. One of these famous women was the influential Susan B. Anthony who is known for using rhetorical appeals in her speeches. In the speech "Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony, the author uses hypophora, pathos through the use negative connotation, and logos through the use of allusions to develop her argument that women have the unalienable right to vote just like male citizens.

Susan B. Anthony uses hypophora to establish that women are distinguished as people to be considered full citizens. The author demands the audience to understand and recognize that women are just as capable as men are. Anthony also dares the audience to give a negative answer to her question "Are women person?" She then proceeds to answer her question by stating "And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not." Not only does the use of hypophora authenticates Anthony's position against women's competitors, but it also brings the audience's attention to her question.

The audience had to undergo an analysis to comprehend why the fact that women are people,  also granted them the power to vote. The audience would be curious about what prevented women from being considered full citizens if they are people just like men. This rhetorical device also helped Anthony progress her speech to the end where she states that she is entitled, as a person, to mark any law that goes against women as invalid. The use of hypophora helped Susan B. Anthony leave her audience with doubt about the past laws that denied women the right to vote.

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Susan B. Anthony uses pathos through the use of negative connotation to induce guilt in the audience and state the horrors women went through because of discrimination. Anthony is not shy to be abrupt when she describes the government as corrupt and contradicts its meaning of existence. The author stated that the government is "an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex." Anthony proceeds to state phrases with the similar negative connotations to deepen the wound even more. Anthony uses words 'oligarchy' and 'aristocracy' to generate guilt in the crowd since America only exists because it escaped a monarchy.

While some Americans do have complete freedom, some are harassed in the corner. The author also does not forget to mention the unbalance that exist in the finance between men and women. She then uses a generalization and states "oligarchy of wealth, where the rich govern the poor." The audience is bound to feel guilt since this all provides the proof that America is the men's playground where they are always above women despite calling itself the land of the free. Susan B. Anthony perfected her use of negative connotation in the speech since it was a major factor in revealing the injustice done to women.

Susan B. Anthony uses the art of logos through the use of historical allusions to provide support for her claim that women should vote. Susan quoted the preamble of the Federal Constitution, which states the rights how America should stand together. Anthony quickly turns their words against them when she establishes the separation that existed between men and women. Anthony uses the perfect line "It was we, the people: not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens.".

In reference to the preamble, Anthony uses the essentially known phrase 'we the people' to stress about how imperfect the union was since women failed to be considered individuals with full rights. Anthony used their words, primarily those that symbolize America, to state that it is a necessity for females to be known as part of the 'we' in  'we the people' to finally respect America's claim of freedom. Susan B. Anthony was bright when she used historical allusions because it presented women as capable of defending themselves and supported her claim that women are competent of voting.

In the address "Women's Right to Vote", Susan B. Anthony presents her argument that women should have the right to vote through the use of, hypophora, pathos, and logos. Through the hardships of history, people become more creative about their speeches because something new was always needed to leave the audience mesmerized. Susan B. Anthony was one of the many individuals who had to do this to spread a message that supported many women like herself. It is because of speakers like her that many movements followed and with each new orator, the crowd was left amazed.

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