Question

Sojourner Truth
by Joanna Evans

The fight for suffrage drives a wedge between a spirited young woman and her mother. . . .

Characters

NARRATOR

REBECCA, 17 years old

MAMA, her mother

BEFORE RISE: NARRATOR enters, addresses audience.

NARRATOR: Did you know that women in the United States weren’t allowed to vote until 1920? That’s when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, extending voting rights to all women. If you do your math, you’ll find that women couldn’t vote for nearly 150 years after our nation was created out of the Revolutionary War. . .talk about injustice!

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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Both Rebecca’s father and Sojourner Truth are influential in the play, but neither of them appears. In 3-5 sentences, draw conclusions about why the playwright did not include these characters in the play’s action.

Answer 1

The absence of both Rebecca's father and Sojourner Truth from the play's action emphasizes the focus on the generational conflict between Rebecca and Mama regarding women's suffrage. By not including Rebecca's father, the playwright highlights the matriarchal dynamic and the women's struggle for autonomy and agency in a male-dominated society. Sojourner Truth, as a powerful historical figure in the fight for equality, serves more as a symbol of the broader movement rather than a character whose presence might overshadow the personal journey of Rebecca and her relationship with her mother. This choice allows the narrative to center on personal experiences and differing perspectives within the suffrage movement, rather than historical figures.