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A Radically Different Voice Anne Hutchinson Analysis

686 Words3 Pages

Charlie Presti
HST-201-02
28 October 2016
Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson was vocal about what she believed in, and no one or thing was going to stop her. “A Radically Different Voice: Gender and Language in the Trials of Anne Hutchinson”, captures the struggles and conflict of Anne Hutchinson in the 1630’s. This article was written by Lad Tobin who focuses on gender differences and roles and how language was used and interpreted between men and women (1). An analysis of Anne Hutchinson 's trials over expressing her opinion and beliefs to the most powerful ministers starts making people think twice about their role as a male or female and how their language is communicated to a listener. The first main point that Tobin addresses and re-emphasizes …show more content…

Tobin suggests that, “She argued that the meaning of any individual word or statement is not absolute but rather is determined by the context in which it was spoken” (9). Hutchinson’s word was being turned against her because how the leaders were interpreting it. She then proceeded to question, disrupt, mock, and sarcastically reply to the leaders (Tobin 13). Hutchinson was frustrated that her word was not being accounted for because she was a female voice, so she started to make a statement with her words. “There’s a gap between a speaker 's meaning and a listener’s understanding; and that words only gain meaning through the mutual agreement of the speaker and the listener…” (Tobin 14).
To sum up the article, “A Radically Different Voice”, Anne Hutchinson showed the culture of how frightened leaders were from a different opinion and voice that threatened their vision of society (1). Hutchinson was a fighter and did not quite, no matter what leaders tried to accuse her of or jumble her own words around. She was the first female voice to express her opinion on how she felt about her faith. For the better, it opened her communities ears and eyes to reevaluate their …show more content…

Overall, my assessment of this article, “A Radically Different Voice”, was very informational and great description of case and evidence to support his main claims. As I read, I did feel as if Tobin was a little bit biased. Though his writing, I picked up that he was mostly for and with Hutchinson because she was female who voice should be vocalized equally to men. No matter what I believe think should have happened, he persuaded the reader with more indication that what Hutchinson was doing was good. Though to some, it could be a disgrace similarly to what the leaders felt at the time when Hutchinson was accusing

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