Heather Pentecost April 4, 2014 Comm 454, Dr. Komfield Browne, on Angelina Grimke, Ch. 6 © Identity, for Browne, is malleable, as evidenced by Grimke’s adoption of a new “thetorica persona” (140) for the purposes of publicizing herself and her abolitionist agenda, Tdentity is therefore constructed through choice language and “symbolic action” (168), though above all it is “a way of being” (146). © The relationship between rhetoric and violence has often been rough, but Browne claims that abolitionist orators were able to use the physical violence against them as proof that their cause ‘was right, and as possible rhetorical ammunition, i.e. martyrdom. Grimke, furthermore, used the violent acts she witnessed as examples for why her audience should rid the nation of slavery. ‘This reading focused on the ramifications of violence for and against the abolitionists, and on how important a © Despite anti-abolitionists’ claim that these were “the wrong people in the wrong places...arguing about [slavery] wrongly” (142), the abolitionists were in fact making their own “rightness.” Grimke gives usa great example in Angelina pot only of how fo create the right, oppo but also how to create the right identity for the right time, “Do You Want to Build A Woman?” (to the tune of “Do You Want to Build A Snowman?” from Disney’s “Frozen”) [9-Year-Old Angelina:] Emily? [knocks] Do you want to build a woman? Ge Orride our bikes around Town Hall? Wy I think some freedom is overdue, y \e Tve started talking to An abolitionist named Weld! It gets a little sadd’ning All those torn up lives Just waiting for their freedom (tick-tock tiek-tock tiek-tock tick-tock)[15-Year-Old Angelina:] [knocks] Emily, please I know you're unsure People are asking if we'll win ‘They say, “have courage” and I’m trying to I’m going public too Just like you've been! We only have one chance now To save these lives What are we gonna do? Do you want to build a woman? \ Yes, it has to be a woman, > A Chances are, you know this song. In fact, I’m counting on it, because otherwise these lyrics wouldn’t make much sense. At the time of this writing, this tune is still relatively popular, whereas one year ago, it/ hadn’t even been released, and in ten years, it will be but a fond memory. I chose this piece because it was the right one for this moment. Similarly, Angelina Grimke sang the right tune at the right time, even though she had to compose bits of these herself. The background orchestration was the chatter of support echoing throughout the North; the lyrics, her eloquent words; the eymbal crash, the freed slaves speaking. Each member of Garrison's entourage had to play their part well, never missing a beat within their chorus, pounding on towards freedom, Angelina was thus like a first violinist, taking cues from her conductor, Garrison, and her production manager, Christ himself. She was willing and ready to be the face of the operation, and to lead her fellow women through the dark middle stanza against slavery. Or perhaps she was the first soprano, prepared to take the stage in a bold way when necessary, but step back when the melody needed to be subdued. She trained her voice, and likewise her public persona to be flawless, effortless, ‘and most importantly, feminine with a kick.While it does not seem like stage fright was an issue for Grimke, it must have taken remarkable courage to face boisterous crowds, day after day, especially in an era when many upheld their right to bear arms. Rather than picturing her audience in their underwear, though, I imagine that she made her character, “Angelina Grimke,” brave and outspoken, and lived out a form of method acting, She used the toolkit of rhetorical choices to remind herself and others that she vhs not just a woman with a sad / / story, she was the Angelina Grimke, solo artist extraordinaire, She ysed her shameful, yet common past / to witness to the atrocities committed in the name of slavery and fo give hope “to a future heretofore / unspoken” (150). She employed her past identity as a member,Of a slaveholding family to produce a 7 new identity through which she could fight against the Pragtce of holding saves. In his way, Angelina, with the help of Garrison’s ensemble, made a clear voieg/for herself amidst the violence of the age. Her utilization of her identity was not only brave, it was shusic to the ears of the captive slaves she so desperately fought for. /