Rhetoric is a form of communication that uses persuasion to influence and audience. Rhetoric communication is used to change the attitudes, beliefs, or opinions of an audience, which is why rhetoric can have a slightly negative connotation.
Christine writes to persuade her audience, (fellow females), that they deserve better treatment, education, and status. She seeks to persuade women they can survive in a world of men and persevere to become something better than what the average male portrays a woman to be.