Perspectives

In this part of the study guide, we will give you a few extra points that will help you put the speech “Freedom or Death” by Emmeline Pankhurst in perspectiv…

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Periodical perspective

The speech was delivered during the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the US and Britain. Activists of the movement, known as suffragists, advocated for women gaining voting rights. The movement started in mid- 19th century mainly in the US and Britain.

At the time of the speech, Emmeline Pankhurst and her organisation had been the main driving force behind the movement in …

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Current issues

If you are wondering how relevant the speech is today, when all women in the Western world are supposed to have equal political and civil rights, you can reflect on the fact that Feminism has been selected as the word of the year 2017 by editors of the A…

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Textual perspective

In your analysis of “Freedom or Death” you can consider comparing the speech with similar ones such as Emma Watson’s 2014 speech at the UN launch of the HeForShe campaign, or Hillary Clinton’s 1994 speech at the UN, “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. You may also compare it to Malcom X's 1964 speech "The Ballot or the Bullet", which is also focused on a social group that …