Inarguably, November 1917 marked the rise of a new era to women’s voting privileges; as it was on that day that Carrie Chapman delivered an insightful plea to the American Congress; one that ascertained the need to enact the 19th amendment, a clause that entitled women to enjoy the privilege of voting rights. An examination of Chapman’s speech proves that the address was indeed successful in compelling the minds of most congress members to ratify the 19th amendment, for it relied on the elements of ethos, pathos, and logos, to expound on the immense torture that women suffered in a bid to secure their voting privileges (Eidenmuller 56). Catt’s speech was successful as it was built upon, historical events that defined women’s suffrage for equal recognition, the full embrace of democracy, and societal impact of women’s roles, elements that heightened the Congress need to fully embrace democracy as a process that necessitated the enfranchisement of women.
Catt’s plea for voting rights was one that was crafted upon the historical facts that defined America’s sovereignty, such as the birth of the nation through revolution, as well as the democratic ideals that represented America’s governance. “Our nation was born of revolution…and even in Woodrow Wilson’s era… the struggle for democracy, the rights of the submissive to have a voice still exists in our hearts,” (Eidenmuller 1). Evidently, in the context, Catt expounded on the aspect of suffrage as the path to liberation, by equating the struggle and freedom of America, to that of women’s suffrage for voting rights. Unlike today, women were observed to be predominantly submissive at the time, an aspect that called for the imperative need to air their voices out. Chapman’s elaboration of suffrage was founded upon the elements of ethos, a feature that was successfully employed to depict the struggles women were secretly undergoing through all in a bid to have their voices heard, a perspective that could only be attained through the equality enactment of women’s voting rights.
Secondly, Chapman while delivering her speech, effectively employed pathos to elaborate on the need to fully embrace democracy, as the principal value that defined America’s governance. “Behold Uncle Sam states that taxation that disfavors representation is tyranny… seizes taxes paid by women but refuses their representation… thereby denying the fundamental democratic right to women,” (Eidenmuller 1). It is interesting to note that in Carrie’s speech, she employed bitter remarks to provoke emotions within the Congress, on the unjust application of democracy as a vice among critical institutions in the government. At the given time, the impact of biased democracy had oppressed women, to the point of rendering them voiceless, despite them being fully observant of the laws. As such, it was only through the employed of pathos, that the protagonist in question could assert of women’s exploitation by the tenets of democracy, an aspect that could only be reversed through the implementation of the 19th amendment.
From a logos perspective, Catt expounds on the societal impact of women’s roles as a platform to present her case for equal voting rights, and appeal to the congressional audience present on the given day. According to Carrie’s speech, “women worked as teachers educating the men on aspects of citizenship and patriotism, furthermore, they served as interpreters of the law, administered care in hospitals, uplifted the society through insightful publications…but were still justified to be held with lower regard,” (Eidenmuller 1). According to the protagonist, there lacked any justification to validate the unequal treatment of women, primarily as the played significant roles in the society. When basing on the given extract, it is evident that women played a significant role in nurturing the growth of the nation, and as such, they deserved the right to air their voices by partaking in the voting process. Patently, for if women possessed the capability to teach future leaders, interpret the law, save human life, and morally uplift the society through insightful publications, what reason justified their curtailment from the right to voice their opinion through voting?
In conclusion, Carrie Chapman Catt effectively employed ethos, logos, and pathos to agitate for the enactment of the 19th amendment. Women had indeed suffered a great deal while still in silence. Additionally, from her speech, the Congress was able to realize that some of the doctrines that the body observed, promoted the aspect of human suffrage, rather than curtailing it. Cumulatively, Catt’s speech was successful in changing the perception of the Congress, and paving way for the enactment of women’s voting rights, as it was built upon, historical events that defined women’s suffrage for equal recognition, full embrace of democracy, and societal impact of women’s roles, elements that heightened the need to fully embrace democracy as a process that necessitated the enfranchisement of women.
Work Cited
Eidenmuller, Michael E. “American Rhetoric: Carrie Chapman Catt - Address to Congress on Women's Suffrage.” American Rhetoric: Eleanor Roosevelt -- "The Struggle for Human Rights", 2008, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/carriechapmancattsuffragespeech.htm.
Eidenmuller, Michael E. Great Speeches for Better Speaking: Listen and Learn from History's Most Memorable Speeches. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.
