The primary purpose of the phrases “borne thirteen children” and “cried out with my mother’s grief” is to emphasize the pain and struggle that Truth has lived through. These statements highlight her personal experiences of loss and suffering, which serve to illustrate the broader plight of enslaved women and evoke a sense of empathy from the audience.
Read the excerpt from "Ain't I a Woman?"
I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?
What is the primary purpose of the phrases “borne thirteen children” and “cried out with my mother’s grief”?
to encourage audience members to recall their own struggles
to encourage the audience to sympathize with enslaved persons
to emphasize the pain and struggle that Truth has lived through
to emphasize Truth’s belief that women should receive special treatment
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