Frances Harper

I know we didn't really get a chance to talk about this on Wednesday, but I really liked reading Harper's poems and stories. Even though she never been a slave, she was able to describe how horrible slavery was in a very moving way. I think that she her descriptions of slave mothers would have been very appealing to the white women of the north who were on the fence about slavery. I also loved her poems about the older black women who were willing to work hard to read and be involved in politics after the civil war. I found these to be really inspirational.
Also when I was reading Harper I couldn't help but compare her to Sojourner Truth. I feel like both these women were saying the same thing, but in completely different (and just as effective ways). I feel like Harper would be the result of Phillis Wheatly's talent in poetry merging with Truth's ideas and life experiences.
I also think that Harper's writing applied just as much white women as it did to black woman. In her story The Two Offers, she describes two women. One woman chooses to be in an unhappy marriage and dies young. The other never marries, but does so much good for people around her that she practically can call them family. I think this is a really strong story for women in the 19th century and today.