Thinking about the reading…
- Does the format of this document remind you of any other famous documents? (Hint: look at the second paragraph)
- There is a series of short paragraphs that all begin with “He has”– what is the purpose of this series? Why do they (almost) all start in the same way?
- What are the major areas of discussion/complaint according to the women who composed the text?
- Does this document address the idea that women are treated as a minority, even though they are not technically one?
- Is there a “call to action” in the text? If so, what is it? Is this an important part of the text?
- What do you think is the most powerful sentence in the text?
Beyond the reading…
- This document is thought of as one of the biggest steps women took towards gaining suffrage. Do you see this document as accomplishing its purpose?
- Why is a historical document relevant to a class on Women Writers?
- Why is this the first text we are reading in this class?
