Frances Wright on women's rights: Eloquence versus ethos

Abstract

Frances Wright, a Scotswoman and first woman public speaker in America, failed to persuade 1828–1830 audiences of the importance of women's rights because of her low extrinsic ethos. She met all the criteria for “eloquence” defined by Longinus, and contemporary audiences granted her high intrinsic ethos; however, her radical behavior and ideas such as the invasion of the male lecture platform, association with free love practices, and attacks on organized religion violated societal norms and thereby mitigated her effectiveness.

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