Worksheet: Analyzing Helen Keller’s 1916 Speech to the Woman’s Party in Chicago

Name: _______________________________________ 
Period: ________ 
Date: __________

Follow this link to the digital Helen Keller Archive: “Helen Keller’s speech to delegates of the new Woman’s Party in Chicago endorsing suffrage movement. June 11, 1916.” Read the speech and answer the questions below.

Sourcing

To whom is Helen Keller speaking? When?

Close Reading

What is Keller’s opinion of the suffrage movement?

What is Keller’s opinion of its opponents? How does she discredit arguments against suffrage?

Identify and summarize the two most important arguments made in this speech.

Contextualization

What unfamiliar names, events, or ideas does Keller refer to in her speech? What topics would you need to learn more about in order to more fully understand her letter? Consult your teacher to find additional information.

Rhetoric and Analysis

Choose two passages in the text you find compelling and explain why you chose them.

Identify one rhetorical device used in the speech. How does Keller use it to persuade her audience?