Conquering Themselves So Beautifully & Woman's Rights/When Woman Gets Her Rights Men Will Be Right

   I really did not like any of these readings. “Conquering Themselves So Beautifully,” by Louisa May Alcott, was basically about four girls who complained about things like washing dishes, but then put their lives into perspective when they read a letter from their dad who was serving in the army. “Woman’s Rights,” a speech by Sojourner Truth, was just hard to read. Its not that her ideas were hard to understand, but the language was just horrible. I understand that she was born into slavery and wasn’t able to learn how to read or write, but that was almost painful to read. Thankfully, her language skills improved drastically in the sixteen years between “Woman’s Rights” and “When Woman Gets Her Rights Man Will Be Right.”

   One thing that I did get from these readings was a feeling of relief that I was born into this generation. The four March sisters had lives that were limited by what was considered acceptable for women to do in the 1800s. For example, Jo March struggled with her desire to fight with her father in war. Also at this point in history, women were not allowed to attend college, so I am very grateful that I am able to pursue a career and not have to spend my life in the kitchen. And even if I couldn’t go to college, I was still lucky enough to have some type of education, which is more than an ex-slave like Sojourner Truth can say. 

   Reading Sojourner Truth’s speech made me feel guilty as well. She, like many other women of her time, fought so hard for the right to vote and I completely take it for granted. I have been eighteen and eligible to vote for over seven moths, and until now I had never even thought about registering. Reading this really does make me want to register to vote and fulfill my duties as a citizen as well as a woman.