I found these two excerpts to be very interesting given the backgrounds of the authors, as people of color during a time of slavery. I'd like to compare the two pieces on gender identity.
Douglass- Douglass found/asserted his identity by his ability to stand up to physical oppression and abuse. I found this interesting in light of Truth asserting her identity by words; Douglass used physicality. I wonder if this was because of the options available to him, the prevailing definition of manhood or his personal beliefs about what men are/should be.
Truth- Although short and difficult to read due to the dialect, this was one of the few pieces that made me proud to be a woman. So many of our readings are crazy feminists who are far too radical for my taste. Truth's statements are basic, yet bold. She asserted her identity as a woman by using logical arguments (the origin of Christ being God and a woman--- men had nothing to do with Him) against the men's statements of the inferiority of women (pretty good for someone with a lesser intellect, I should say).
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