Critical Analysis of the Wollstonecraft and the Rights of Women - Essay Example

Wollstonecraft calls herself a philosopher (58.1), but philosophy is considered rational thinking, reflective and logical, not an outlook on life. She, however, offers a passionate, mostly one-sided argument for the education of women by setting forth her interpretation of the beliefs of notable male writers who have defined women in different ways with the same result, i.e. Milton, she says, believes women are innocent personified, formed for softness and sweet attractive grace. Wollstonecraft disagrees, saying, “Children should be innocent, but when the epithet is applied to men or women, it is but a civil term for weakness” (4.12-13). Through this entire chapter, Wollstonecraft intentionally uses language designed to show men in the worst possible light. Her word choices are quite graphic:
- How grossly do they insult us who thus advise us only to render ourselves gentle, domestic brutes (4.1-2).
- All of the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners, from Rousseau to Dr. Gregory, have contributed to rendering women more artificial, weak characters than they would otherwise have been (12.1-4).
- Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience; but, as blind obedience is ever sought for by power, tyrants and sensualists are in the right when they endeavor to keep women in the dark because the former want only slaves, and the latter a play-thing” (21.6-9).
Wollstonecraft, who agrees with some of Rousseau’s views on education, does not however agree with him and other male writers who consider female education as merely a way to render females pleasing. It is necessary to delve into her personal history to understand some of the more passionate passages in this chapter (Wollstonecraft, p.7, 34.9-11). Her early years were influenced by the fact that: 1) her father was a heavy drinker, probably abusive. 2) She was called to care for her sister, Eliza, whose mental condition had deteriorated after the birth of her son. Mary was convinced her sister’s condition was due to her husband’s bad treatment. 3) Mary had an illegitimate child, Fanny, by Gilbert Imlay who more than once almost drove her to suicide because he philandered. She did marry William Godwin for the sake of their daughter Mary, even though neither of them believed in marriage. Unfortunately, she died of childbed fever after Mary’s birth (Lewis, n.pag.).
It must be concluded that Mary Wollstonecraft was an influential writer whose points were well made when she urged women to develop their minds and acquire their own identities, an effort that has yet to be fully embraced in today’s society, though advancements have been made.