Mary Wollstonecraft Criticism

Philosophers believed that men act like tyrants and act immature so they need to change their ways. In Document F-1 Mary Wollstonecraft says “But if women are to be excluded, without having a voice, from participation of the natural rights of mankind, prove first, to ward of the charge… there is not a shadow of justification for not admitting women under the same.” Wollstonecraft is fighting for equality, believes the only reason women are not equal is based off of old tradition, and it is time for change.

The Age of Enlightenment was a period of intellectual, social, and economic movements that sought-after a more reformed way of society. Predominantly in Europe many advances were starting to take place, however women still were faced with nonexistent rights. Mary Wollstonecraft, was born during the midst of the Enlightenment era. During her childhood where education for women was not important nor prominent, she saw how detrimental the social class was set for women and knew from a young age she wanted to pursue a higher education level. Wollstonecraft settle to dedicate her life to writing and with this hopefully challenge the norms of educating and liberating women.

Wollstonecraft strongly believed,“...both sexes must act from the same principle…” (Doc D) Wollstonecraft strongly wanted both sexes to follow the same criteria and be given the same educational rights, so that women could be wiser and more virtuous. Wollstonecraft and Locke both believed that all should be equal and this supports that women are one of the groups besides religion that were not given as many rights as others. She also thought,“... women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge...to full fill their peculiar duties...to free them from all restraint…”

Mary Wollstonecraft's "The Rights of Women," published in 1792, is a groundbreaking feminist masterpiece that challenges the surrounding societal norms and advocates for the rights and education of women. Through her skillful use of rhetoric, Wollstonecraft eloquently uses the three classical appeals—ethos, logos, and pathos—to persuade her audience and stimulate discussions on gender equality, women's liberation, and overall education. “The Rights of Women” is an iconic feminist piece that sparked controversy and calls for a change of misogyny. This essay will dive into Wollstonecraft's adept use of ethos, logos, and pathos, thoroughly analyzing how she effectively communicates her argument and establishes herself as a credible, logical, and

Mary Wollstonecraft’s A vindication of the rights of women written in 1792 can be considered one of the first feminist documents, although the term appeared much later in history. In this essay, Wollstonecraft debates the role of women and their education. Having read different thinkers of the Enlightenment, as Milton, Lord Bacon, Rousseau, John Gregory and others, she finds their points of view interesting and at the same time contrary to values of the Enlightenment when they deal with women’s place. Mary Wollstonecraft uses the ideas of the Enlightenment to demand equal education for men and women. I will mention how ideals of the Enlightenment are used in favor of men but not of women and explain how Wollstonecraft support her “vindication” of the rights of women using those contradictions.

She understands that women feel weak and are bullied by men, so she targets the female audience’s delicate emotions toward male oppression to enhance her argument for gender equality. In her introduction, the author employs pathos to engage women’s feelings into her argument, and she uses these emotions to call for women to gain ambition and strength to fight for civil rights. Wollstonecraft tells women that “men endeavor to sink us lower, merely rendering us as alluring objects for a moment” (307). She claims men treat women as “alluring objects,” which expresses her point that men treat women as inferior creatures (307). Also, she directly relates to the female audience when she uses the first person pronoun “us” (307), for she “acknowledges that she too is a victim of oppression” (Smith 559).

The inequality of women has been a long-lasting issue that still persists today. Women have gained more rights over time in part due to significant efforts made by feminists, however, much progress still needs to be made. Mary Wollstonecraft, often cited as one of the founding feminist philosophers, has acted as a strong influence for the modern conception of feminism due to her advocacy and ideas on femininity. One of Wollstonecraft’s most prominent works in regards to feminism is A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. In the piece, Wollstonecraft uses and critiques philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s work, namely Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, in order to build a case in defense of a woman’s inherent human rights in relation to factors such as education and socialization against Rousseau’s more antiquated views on what a woman’s purpose is to be.

Wollstonecraft’s views on marriage and motherhood were also views of other theorists as many individuals in the eighteenth century, had similar views as Wollstonecraft, and wanted to distinguish the gender inequality in society. A theorist, Anna Wheeler (1785-1848), expressed her views towards gender inequality and outlined that she felt that it was unfair that women were treated differently to men. Wheeler stated, “women’s enslavement and passivity as due to their economic situation, enforced dependence” (Michelle, 2005). The quote explains that Wheeler and Wollstonecraft, both described women as being a slave to men, and expressed that due to the laws in place at the time, women had to endure the cruelty and injustice, and submit themselves

In her document she claims that, “Women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge, which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits as men”(Wollstonecraft, On National Education). Wollstonecraft dynamically argued that if women had the right to study, they’d be able to prove they aren’t inferior by ignorance and low desires. Despite the fact that these four philosophers had contrasting ideas on how to enhance daily life, they all concentrated the same central idea. They each contributed something unique to their society, which has influenced our daily

In the book of vindication of the right of a woman, Wollstonecraft brings out clearly the roles of a woman in her society and how it has led to oppression of women (Wollstonecraft 22). Wollstonecraft believes that men and women are equal given the same environment and empowerment, women can do anything a man can do. In her society, education for women is only aimed at making her look pleasing to men. Women are treated as inferior being and used by men as sex objects. Wollstonecraft believed that the quality of mind of women is the same with that of men, and therefore women should not be denied a chance for formal education that will empower them to be equal with men.

Throughout this text, Wollstonecraft discusses how close-minded society was about women and equality. She describes society as being under the impression that women and men were two different animals. Society also believed that men were free and logical thinkers that could rule and change society while women were seen as pretty objects that could bear children. Wollstonecraft’s feminist view discusses that the problem was not only men inhibiting women, but women themselves were also not pushing against the ideology that men were superior. She continues to explain her new feminist ideology that discusses changes in society that would create equality.

Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in response to a report to the French National Assembly, which stated that women should only receive a domestic education (Johnson Lewis). She believed that women needed to be educated in order to find their way to equality with men. Wollstonecraft writes in the introduction: “The education of women has, of late, been more attended to than formerly; yet they are still reckoned a frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied by the writers who endeavor by satire or instruction to improve

Thus, individuals should be treated in accordance with their abilities and effort as opposed to characteristics of their sex. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1799), one of the earliest liberal feminists supposed to mark the beginning of the liberal feminist movement. She believes that women have the same mental capacity as their male counterparts and should be given the same opportunities in all areas. She stress on providing education to women just like men so that they turn out to be a ethical and self-dependent human beings. John Stuart Mill and Harried Taylor later in 19th century wrote about the evolving need of women’s involvement in the society.

Feminist literary criticism’s primary argument is that female characters have always been presented from a male’s viewpoint. According to Connell, in most literary works, female characters often play minor roles which emphasize their domestic roles, subservience and physical beauty while males are always the protagonists who are strong, heroic and dominant (qtd. in Woloshyn et al.150). This means that the women are perceived as weak and are supposed to be under the control of men. Gill and Sellers say that feminist literary criticism’s approach involves identifying with female characters in order to challenge any male centred outlook.

Wollstonecraft emphasized the value of education for women, but she called for something more than opportunities to learn needle work and social graces. She stressed that a woman’s education should shape body, mind, and emotions, eventually leading to a sense of independence. Although Wollstonecraft’s thinking was a head of her time, it reflected philosophies of the Enlightenment, which championed the power of education, social reform, and moral worth and development as the right of individuals including women. Education was necessary for women, and through moral education women would acquire virtue, knowledge and honesty. For Wollstonecraft, lack of education was the cause of all feminine misery, and since women were denied the opportunity to expand their mental activities in many cases, they could never attain virtue.