An exploration of 19th-century abolitionist and feminist GrimkT's public communications. The author examines such public declarations as the Appeal to the Christian Women of the South and her May 1838 Pennsylvania Hall Address, and concludes that GrimkT took from the world what had been presented to her (her identity) and, through words, fashioned a rationale for radical collective action out of it. A prominent theme in the work is the presence of violence in her rhetorical imagery and its origins. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)