Wednesday, January 18, 2012
jane addams intro
Jane Addams defines greatness as, "a character who has looked through the confusion of the moment and has seen the moral issue involved." Her speech dissussing George Washington, examined the freedom he fought for and how admirable of a figure he is. She discusses him with the utmost respect, attempting for her audience to feel the same; to respect and honor him. Although her speech is about George Washington, she uses him as a catalyst to implement patriotism and freedom that he gave citizens. Perhaps she was attempting to apply this more specifically towards women, for 1903 was the beginning of women's suffrage. Addams uses the figure of George Washington and the freedom he represents to subtly show that all citizens deserve their constitutional rights, despite gender or race.
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Your post is thought-provoking. At first glance it might seem strange that Addams, talking about women's suffrage, would reference George Washington, but you give some convincing reasons for why she would do this. The quote you used in your introduction is especially interesting--is Addams setting herself up as the person who can see the "moral issue involved" in this speech?
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