1. Opening/Context
   1. Sojourner Truth was an emancipated slave who gave the speech “Ain’t I a Woman” at the 1851 Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio
   2. Could not read or write so speech was transcribed by others 
   3. Her words as we read them are not actually her words but a representation of her words by whoever transcribed them
   4. “These secondary rhetors were mindful of audience and purpose, their audience and purpose, which may have been a different audience and purpose from what Truth intended” (Siebler).
   5. Two versions of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman”
      1. First version published three weeks after convention by Marcus Robinson in the Anti-slavery Bugle, an abolitionist publication edited by Robinson
      2. Second version transcribed by Frances Gage twelve years after Truth delivered it
   6. Versions are very different from each other
   7. Robinson’s version probably more closely reflected what Truth said/intended to say than Gage’s version
      1. Truth worked with Robinson on his transcription of the speech
      2. Robinson and Truth were good friends who worked together on issues of women’s and slave’s rights
      3. Gage relied on notes and memories that were more than a decade old and there is no record that Gage worked with Truth on the transcription of her words
   8. Thesis: Gage takes liberties while transcribing Sojourner Truth’s speech, altering her original words in order to increase the effectiveness of her speech for his white audience. Frances Gage’s version of “Ain’t I a Woman” relies on dialect, humor, and appeal to the audience’s sympathy as well as Truth’s credibility in order to convince the audience of the need for women’s rights. 
2. The incorporation of dialect in Gage’s transcription of “Ain’t I a Woman” portrays Truth as a stereotypical emancipated slave.  
   1. Robinson’s version is written without dialect
   2. Dialect in Gage’s speech
      1. Dialect is represented to communicate identity or perspective
      2. The dialect Gage represented is a white woman’s version of how a southern, uneducated Black woman would sound
      3. Since Sojourner Truth was born and raised in the North, her first language being Dutch, she would not have a dialect that resembled the stereotypical “slave dialect.”
   3. Included dialect to make the speech more effective for the audience
      1. Writers typically do not represent dialect when transcribing speeches
      2. Relying on stereotypes
      3. “Gage’s version creates an image of a racially romanticized picture of Sojourner Truth, creating the ex-slave that many people still need and use today” (Siebler)
3. Gage’s use of humor and satire places the readers in the excitement of the moment and makes the audience more inclined to engage with Truth’s speech.  
   1. Robinson’s version reads less dynamically and makes a general call for equality and freedom with less humor
   2. Gage punctuates the speech with narrative asides that document the applause and appreciative response of the audience
   3. The use of humor and satire as represented in Gage’s text also adds depth to the speech
   4. Audience is rooting for Truth and feel that they are facing her resistant audience with her
4. Gage uses religious rhetoric and fabricates Truth’s personal experiences, capturing the sympathy of the audience and demonstrating Truth’s credibility.  
   1. Religious rhetoric 
      1. References to both Adam and Eve and Lazarus
      2. Gave Truth more credibility in the eyes of the white, religious audience
      3. Added ethos, as Truth was seen as more pious
   2. Personal experiences
      1. Gives her more credibility 
      2. Gage’s version: “I have borne thirteen children and seen them almost all sold off into slavery, and when I cried out a mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard — and aren’t I a woman?”
         1. Emphasizes a connection to the women in the audience as well as makes a point about the inhumanity of slavery
         2. This example does not appear in Robinson’s version
         3. Truth probably did not use this example, especially because it is not true
            1. Truth, by her own account, had only eight children, and they were not slaves to be sold but indentured servants. It was Truth who left her children behind when she fled slavery, carrying only the youngest with her
         4. Robinson likely made this up to appeal to the emotions of his audience and make the speech more provocative 

I feel that I did well on the content of my civic artifact speech. I began with a topic that many people in the class were familiar with, and I think that the introduction to my speech transitioned well into the thesis. I had a developed thesis, and I explained the ideologies embedded in the corset as well as the commonplaces it highlights. I described the history of the corset and how it has created a sense of community for women from the time it was perceived as oppressive to its modern-day symbolism. However, I could have used better transitions and verbal signposts to help separate my main points for the audience. 

An area I could have improved in was my oral delivery of the speech. Despite having practiced for a significant amount of time, I did not perform as well as I had hoped I would, especially in the second half of my speech. I did not vary my oral style like I planned to, use gestures, or maintain consistent eye contact throughout the whole speech. I also used verbal fillers unintentionally as a result of nerves. Toward the second half of my speech, my legs began to shake pretty intensely, which threw me off and caused me to forget a lot of the speech. I relied on my notes a lot more in the second half of my speech and took long pauses between my thoughts. 

Three things happened that I was unaware of. I did not use many gestures or move my hands much throughout the speech. I also did not look around the room and make eye contact as much as I thought I did. Finally, I did not realize how long my speech was. I timed it while I was practicing, but I spent longer in class than I did while practicing. 

1. Opening – (display picture of Urban Outfitters corset)
   1. For months now, the bestselling Urban Outfitters corset has been plastered all over Instagram feeds and has become a staple in any girl’s wardrobe. These tops have become so popular that you can’t leave your dorm without spotting someone wearing one. And Urban Outfitters isn’t the only brand selling corsets. You can walk into almost any women’s clothing store and see at least five variations of a corset top. 
   2. These corsets, while seemingly unimportant, are much more than fun fashion pieces.
   3. Statement of the thesis: The corset represents the historical oppression and objectification of women while also symbolizing freedom of self-expression in fashion and female empowerment.
2. Body
   1. Throughout history, corsets have been worn by women to shape their bodies into desired silhouettes, emphasizing a smaller waist.
      1. Women lacked a voice in society and were treated as objects for the male gaze
      2. Were expected to wear corsets at all times – even while carrying out their household and childcare responsibilities 
      3. Corsets made with heavy fabric and had bone or metal inserts
      4. Caused negative health effects 
         1. Wore corsets so tightly that breathing was restricted, causing faintness
         2. Compressing the abdominal organs could cause poor digestion
         3. Over time, the back muscles could waste away
         4. In severe cases, long term lacing led to a deformed rib cage (Isaac)
      5. Symbolic of female oppression, corsets represent the great lengths women were expected to go to in order to fit the patriarchal beauty standard. 
   2. The 1980s marked a shift in the use of the corset.
      1. Jean Paul Gaultier’s Dada collection (1983) – corseted dress 
         1. Transforms corset from underwear to fashionable outerwear
      2. Vivienne Westwood (1987) – created her own version of the corset as a fashion statement (“Corsets in Context: A History)
      3. As new ways of wearing the garment emerged, the corset became a symbol of female empowerment rather than oppression.
   3. The modern corset unites women in expressing their femininity, creating a sense of community as women continue to fight against patriarchal norms and reclaim their identities.
      1. Response to the centuries of sexism and misogyny that women have endured
      2. Now freely choose to wear corsets instead of being forced into it by society’s expectations – “reclaiming” the corset
      3. Feminism is at the corset’s core – 
         1. Women should be able to dress how they want
         2. Free of the expectations and desires of men
      4. Whether viewed as oppressive or liberating, the corset unites women of all different backgrounds. 
3. Conclusion
   1. The modern corset comments on the historical oppression of women, empowering women to dress however they want without the pressure to conform to patriarchal standards.
   2. The next time you see someone wearing the Urban Outfitters corset, remember that there is a much deeper meaning behind it than simply being a trendy clothing item.

Works Cited

“Corsets in Context: A History.” Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 29 Mar. 2016, https://www.famsf.org/blog/corsets-context-history. 

Isaac, Susan. “The Dangers of Tight Lacing: the Effects of the Corset.” Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons, 17 Feb. 2017, https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-publications/library/blog/effects-of-the-corset/. 

Throughout history, corsets have been worn by women to shape their bodies into desired silhouettes, emphasizing a smaller waist. To fit in with societal norms, women were expected to continue their usual household chores and take care of their children, while also being expected to wear the corset at all times. These garments were made with heavy fabric, with bone or metal inserts, and often had negative health effects on the women who wore them. 

Women often wore corsets so tightly that their breathing was restricted, leading to faintness. Compressing the abdominal organs could cause poor digestion, and over time the back muscles could waste away. In severe cases, long term lacing led to a deformed rib cage. Symbolic of female oppression, corsets represent the great lengths women were expected to go to in order to fit the patriarchal beauty standard. 

The 1980s marked a shift in the use of the corset. In 1983, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Dada collection presented a corseted dress, transforming the corset from underwear to fashionable outerwear, and in 1987, Vivienne Westwood presented her own version of the corset as a fashion statement. As new ways of wearing the garment emerged, the corset became a symbol of female empowerment rather than oppression.

Once associated with the wealthy elite and then adopted by the middle and working classes in the 17th century, the corset has become increasingly available to people of different economic statuses. Today, corsets have become popular fashion products, and they are so accessible that they have become symbols of liberation for women of all socioeconomic backgrounds. 

The modern corset unites women in expressing their femininity, creating a sense of community as women continue to fight against patriarchal norms and reclaim their identities. Women now freely choose to wear corsets instead of being forced into the garment by society’s expectations.

The corset represents the historical oppression and objectification of women while also symbolizing freedom of self-expression in fashion and female empowerment. Whether viewed as oppressive or liberating, the corset unites women of all different backgrounds.