Speaking at the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Florence Kelley uses the inhumanity of child labor to recruit and incite women into a call for action. She elicits a revolutionary response for enfranchisement by using emotional appeals, vigorous repetition and an inclusive tone to enhance her rhetoric and strengthen her argument. Kelley does not dawdle with a dolled-up fairy tale; there is no "Once upon a time" for "two million children", for the word time would suggest that there is both day and night. Instead, these dehumanized "little beasts of burden" live forever in the night "while we sleep". Even in our drunkest hallucinations, we see "blue mice and pink elephants" or little elves riding on donkeys--never our children slaving away. Kelley uses vivid imagery to sarcastically illustrate the "pitiful privilege" children are granted and lists the common objects they "spin,..weave,..braid..[and] carry" each night. This commonality links everyone in the audience together: mothers, wives, daughters. Thus, she ends her speech comprehensively and advocates the goal everyone can work towards: for the sake of the "children" of today and the "Republic" of tomorrow. Only praying will not write the laws, free the children or permit female voting. No, it is the responsibility of the adults (like Jesus) to sacrifice their time, minds and body "in this task of freeing the children from toil": only then will an advance in equality be noticeable.
I like the way you included all the required words into your writing! You also did a great job explaining Kelly's claim and objective.
ReplyDeleteYour usage of multiple quotes from the passage to support your point was nice! I liked how you incorporated pink elephants, although I'm not quite sure about the "little elves riding on donkeys."
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