Question

read this sentence from susan b. anthonys \on womens right to vote.\

it was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the union.

which words in this sentence best help anthony create a mocking tone?

• it was we, the people
• nor yet we, the male citizens
• but we, the whole people
• people, who formed the union

Explanation:

Analyze the context of the speech

We are examining a sentence from Susan B. Anthony's famous speech, "On Women's Right to Vote." In this speech, Anthony argues that women are citizens and therefore have a constitutional right to vote. She uses Speech Analysis and Authors Purpose to challenge the narrow, exclusionary interpretations of the U.S. Constitution.

Examine the sentence structure

The sentence reads: "It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union."
Anthony employs parallel structure and repetition, which are powerful Rhetorical Devices. She contrasts the inclusive phrase "we, the people" with the restrictive realities of who actually holds power.

Identify the mocking tone

To create a mocking tone, Anthony mimics and ridicules the narrow definitions of "the people" used by her opponents to exclude women and minorities. The phrase "nor yet we, the male citizens" highlights the absurdity of progressively narrowing down "the people" to mean only a specific privileged group, exposing the hypocrisy of the government's democratic claims.

Evaluate the options

• "It was we, the people": This is a direct, sincere quote from the Constitution's preamble.
• "nor yet we, the male citizens": This phrase directly mocks the exclusionary legal interpretations of the era by showing how ridiculous it is to equate "the whole people" with only "male citizens."
• "but we, the whole people": This is a sincere statement of her core belief and argument.
• "people, who formed the Union": This is a factual, earnest description of the nation's founders.

Answer:

• (A) It was we, the people
• (B) nor yet we, the male citizens (Correct answer)
• (C) but we, the whole people
• (D) people, who formed the Union