Comparing The Works Of Samson Occom And Judith Sargent Murray

The two writers Samson Occom and Judith Sargent Murray call attention to important social questions through their writing. Both of them have life lived experience of being on the receiving end of social injustice. In the essay “On the Equality of the Sexes” Judith Sargent Murray questioned the origin of male superiority by writing, ”May we not trace its source in the difference of education, and continued advantage? … Will it be said that the judgment of a male of two years old is more sage than that of a female’s of the same age” (741). Murray takes a position on the issue by writing, “I believe the reverse is true … [t]he one is taught to aspire and the other is early confined and limited” (741). You can tell by Murray’s writing she felt strongly about the lack of educational access for women and by writing and publishing this essay she was challenging the readers to also question the prevalent attitude of male superiority in society. …show more content…
Occum assisted in raising money for what he thought would be an Indian-Charity School only to find out the school would be in another location and would be a college. Upon gaining knowledge of this “Occum angrily predicted to Wheelock …Poor Indians, they’ll never have much benefit of it” (445). Occum worked as a minister and teacher to Native Americans his entire life and “he speculates that some of the criticisms he received as an Indian preacher… were simply because ‘I am a Poor Indian’” (446). Samson Occom tried to improve the lives of Native Americans through his work by preaching and teaching to that