Lady Constance Lytton Speech in 1910

I chose to post about Lady Constance Lytton as Jane Warton who was forcibly fed whenever she was going on a hunger strike. She delivered her speech at the Queen’s hall, January 31, 1910 (CP). Her speech was describing her experience with the hunger-strike, she explains that woman unlike men do not need to resort to violence and use weapons for what they are trying to protest for. If the government, parliament, and the courts all refused what they are asking for which is a simple fair hearing, than they must do what they have to do to get their attention. And that is why these women have chosen the weapon of self-hurt to make their protest (CP). She also goes further with her explanations that even if the government continues to use their “unfair methods, with their abominable torture and tyranny of feeding for force” (CP), women are still not going to give up on what they deserve.

                She explains the force feeding as if “being killed-absolute suffocation” (CP). I like how she explains the horrifying experience of force feeding by using words like painful, suffocation choke, and writhes. And admits at that moment you forget why you are protesting. But then you realize soon after why you are doing this, and it’s because she thinks about the splendid heroes and heroines since the world began, of all the martyrs, all the magnificent woman in this movement and with that she feels tremendous gratitude (CP). Lady Constance describes her terrifying experience not only does it give the audience sympathy but it empowers the movement by convincing the other woman that you too can become a member of their union and be part of the movement.  

                Questions: Do you think the government actually took the woman seriously because there was no violence but self-destruction? Was there any other way for woman to get the attention of the government without hurting themselves??  

Sources: CP and Google images