LITR 4232: American Renaissance
Sample Answers from Student Midterms, Spring 2001
"Identify & Signify"

Passage #1.

Of all its banners, none has been more steadily upheld, and under none have more valor and willingness for real sacrifices been shown, than that of the champions of the enslaved African. And this band it is, which, partly from a natural following out of principles, partly because many women have been prominent in that cause, makes, just now, the warmest appeal in behalf of Woman.

               Though there has been a growing liberality on this subject, yet society at large is not so prepared for the demands of this party, but that they are and will be for some time, coldly regarded as the Jacobins [radicals] of their day.

               "Is it not enough," cries the irritated trader, "that you have done all you could to break up the national union, and thus destroy the prosperity of our country, but now you must be trying to break up family union . . . ."

Sample student responses to passage #1.

[complete answer from in-class exam]

Author: Sarah Margaret Fuller

Title: Woman in the Nineteenth Century

Context: She is talking about women’s involvement in the anti-slavery demonstrations. Their help in this movement and the power they gave the movement demonstrates that they deserve rights too. She is setting up the oppositions side to women’s rights and showing how their arguments are illogical, and fail to take the women’s thoughts, feelings, and rights into consideration.

Signify: This passage acts as a representation to women’s and other minorities desire to have equal rights. Women want to be part of the men in "all men are created equal." Stanton also fuels this when she rewrites the Declaration of Independence. Fuller is also bringing to light the fact that no one ever asked women if they were happy with their station in life. Men use the family to argue that women’s place is in the home because in a changing America, this is the only area they can control and maintain stability. Fuller argues that women are not trying to destroy the family; they only want rights because they also have a mind. Women did not gain rights until the 1920’s, although they had been fighting for them for almost one hundred years. One reason is shown in Fuller’s passage—women were concentrating on slavery because it is an evil that needed to be stopped. The second reason is hinted at in her passage—women were closer to the source of oppression. They slept with the enemy. Men had control over their lives and what they could do because they were married to them, and men could use their children to keep them (women) in line. [EG 2001]

[nearly complete excerpt from email exam]

This passage is from Women in the Nineteenth Century by Sarah Margaret Fuller where she is addressing the rights of women to be treated as equals. This passage is significant in that it addresses the emergence of women as an entity to be reckoned with at a time in history when women were looked upon as a group that needed to remain repressed. Fuller is rallying for women, as well as society, to rise up and fight for their rights. She states that women are strong and have been instrumental in the battle to end slavery. But she also acknowledges the resistance that society has to the idea of women rising into their own power. I think it is interesting that the quote that Fuller uses from the trader does, in fact, acknowledge the power of women when he says that they are responsible for trying to break up the national union and are now focusing that power to break up the family. This is a strong theme found in representative literature – issues are raised in order to propel the cause or movement forward. Fuller is challenging society to rise up, as in the idea of civil disobedience. She is elevated to the moral high ground in the way that she addresses the audience and the type of dialogue that she uses. She admits that sacrifices are necessary and that there is and will be resistance to the cause but that the cause is worth it. When she says "and this band it is . . . partly from a natural following out of principles," she is arguing that not only is it necessary for women and slaves to be regarded as equals, it is "natural," and therefore unnatural as it now stands. . . . [JoH 2001]

[complete answer from in-class exam]

Passage 1:

This passage is from Sarah Margaret Fuller’s Woman in the Nineteenth Century. Fuller is giving an example of the argument of a male slave trader who feels that it is bad enough that there is an antislavery movement, now there is a women’s rights movement.

There is an underlying notion in the United States that if the family unit is doing well, then the nation is doing well. Fuller is making the point through her writing that men assume that the family unit is fine, but do not bother to consult their wives. Fuller obviously realizes that men are threatened by the women’s movement. This passage also shows the dehumanization of women. The male answers the questions on behalf of his wife. The wife has no voice, thus she is not a true human. Fuller’s piece is a representative piece of literature in that it brings to light the very real problems of the time of slavery and women’s rights. [LQ 2001]

[excerpt from email exam]

Fuller uses romantic language to evoke the emotions of the reader. Words such as "valor", "sacrifice" and "champions" for example create the idea that this is a quest and is honorable. [LR 2001]

[excerpt from in-class exam]

Fuller then goes on to acknowledge that society is not willing to accept that women have rights also. They see women breaking up the family by wishing to gain rights. In society's eyes the women should remain in the home to care for the family. The men in society feel threatened and this is why they state that this will break up the family union. They feel that when women are kept in their place they have a hold on a base which society grows. [LG 2001]