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”?
Answer
A
to emphasize the pain and struggle that Truth has lived through
B
to encourage the audience to sympathize with enslaved persons
C
to emphasize Truth’s belief that women should receive special treatment
D
to encourage audience members to recall their own struggles
Explanation
The phrases describe Truth’s personal experiences: giving birth to thirteen children, losing most of them to slavery, and grieving without human comfort. These details emphasize the pain and hardship she has endured. The primary purpose is to highlight her own suffering, not to argue that women deserve special treatment.
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