The excerpt from Shirley Chisholm's speech creates a mood of urgency and determination. Her strong assertions about the inadequacy of existing laws to protect women's rights evoke a sense of frustration with the status quo, making the reader or listener acutely aware of the persistent inequalities faced by women. Chisholm’s rhetorical questions, such as why it is an event for a woman to be elected to Congress, underscore the absurdity of discrimination and elicit a feeling of indignation. Additionally, her refusal to accept the argument that women are already equal reinforces a mood of defiance, inspiring the audience to consider the necessity of change and the fight for true equality. Overall, the passionate delivery of her points encourages a sense of empowerment and collective action among her listeners.
"Shirley Chisolm Speech" by Shirley Chisolm Let me note and try to refute two of the commonest arguments that are offered against this amendment. One is that women are already protected under the law and do not need legislation. Existing laws are not adequate to secure equal rights for women. Sufficient proof of this is the concentration of women in lower paying, menial, unrewarding jobs and their incredible scarcity in the upper level jobs. If women are already equal, why is it such an event whenever one happens to be elected to Congress? It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as ''odd'' and "unfeminine." The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board, or a Member of the House, does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job and she wants to try. Equal Rights for Women, Shirley Chisholm, May 21, 1969 Question Use the passage to answer the question. Write 4–5 sentences describing what mood this excerpt creates in the reader or listener and how it creates this mood.
1 answer