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Summary Of Florence Kelly's Speech Ap Language

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Formulaic Essay Florence Kelly expresses her disgust towards Americas hideous and abusive treatment of children by appealing to the readers emotions, causing one to contemplate on what is right and what is reality. Reality being, an unethical society that abuses children and refuses to change despite the undisputable cruelty. Throughout the speech, Florence Kelly tugs on the reader's emotional strings. In the first paragraph Kelly states “children under the age of 16....are earning their bread”. Not only is she implying that these children are earning money but rather using a metaphor to allude to the fact that these children must work to survive. Kelly expresses the appalling treatment of these children throughout the essay by continuing to inform the reader that while we sleep, children will be working. …show more content…

She sarcastically claims throughout her essay that some states do better than others in the area of child labor. However the reader knows that Kelly believes all forms of child labor are evil and must be undone. Although she calls them more enlightened states, she considers all of them to be foolish. As the speech continues, Kelly asks the audience rhetorical questions dealing with women's rights to vote as she asks “If the mothers and the teachers in Georgia could vote, would the Georgia Legislature have refused...to stop the work in the mills of children under twelve years of age”. and “Would the New Jersey Legislature have passed that shameful repeal bill enabling girls of fourteen years to work all night“ These questions cause the reader to imagine what could be, rather than what is. The most important question that is asked of the reader is “what can we do to free our consciences”. Not only does this question appeal to the readers emotions, it also motivates the reader to think of what can be done to help these children out of their unfortunate

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