This piece of writing, can be summarized as being about the restrictions that women had to endure, in their everyday lives. One connection that I had to this writing, was that it made me think of all that women had to go through, during the hands of time. From enduring cruelty at the hands of masters, to fighting for the right to vote; there is so much that women of all different ethnic groups, had to endure. One connection to another reading, was that this writing made me think of Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman"?. This speech by Truth was given at an convention and heard by many. This speech by Truth, also had an similiar element to what Stanton was speaking of. She mentioned how severly restricted that both white and black women were in their everyday lives. However, due to the fact that Truth was both black and a female, she took great pains to mention how harsh an life was for women belonging ot this ethnic group. She mentioned how black women were not allowed to pursue even the same occupations thast white women were allowed to have. She mentioned in her speech, how colored women were only allowed to work in housekeeping and was not able to experience the world, the way that whites may have been allowed to. She stressed that this was an means, to be able to restrict black women and to keep them ignorant of the world around them. Truth wanted others to know that by doing so, that black women could never be able to get farther ahead in life, if they were kept back in this manner.
One question that came to mind, was if I could have been able to ask Stanton anything; I would have asked Stanton "what would she have said today, if she could see how far women have progressed worldwide"?. Lastly, I feel as though one connection to other course readings is that this reading by Stanton reminded me of "Incidents in the Life of an Slave Girl" by Jacobs. This is due to the fact that Jacobs was strictly limited in her environment. She had to endure much abuse and racism, because she was an black woman that was living during the time of slavery. She had to endure acts by the hands of her master, that involved being pushed down the stairs and having her children be threathened to be taken away from her. Any act of defiance, could led to her and other African American women being punished strictly. Even though male slaves had to endure hardships, the woman had to endure often stronger tribulations. Such as being often raped by their masters and giving birth to children, that had not been fathered by their husbands. Jacobs was also restricted, in the fact that she was not allowed to read or write. The slaveowners did not want their slaves to have power. This would have occured, if the slaves had been allowed to pursue reading and writing. Still, Jacobs was able to still find an means for being able to learn how to read and write, despite punishment.
I just want to make, one last comment about this speech by Stanton. One element that was noted, was the fact that Stanton often used the word "He" in reference to one's husband. The term "He" is more commonly used to describe an religious figure, like God. So it is interesting to note, that Stanton capitalized this word, as though to demonstrate the strict power that males often had over their wives.
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