Analysis Of A Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman By Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft can easily be considered an 18th century feminist and was one of the first feminists of her time. She authored A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. This literary work challenges female oppression, and goes as far as to confront some writers’ assertions that women should be educated solely for men’s pleasure. Wollstonecraft explores the basic human right of reason, granted to both men and women, and forms multiple arguments on the importance of equality between sexes in regard to education, power, and societal influence. Wollstonecraft wastes no time in stating her argument in support of women’s education and rights. In the introduction, she mentions multiple times that women are perceived as mere objects of beauty intended …show more content…
This attention gives women the feeling they are enough and the desire for progress or growth is eradicated. In Wollstonecraft’s opinion, this lack of growth can be changed if this growth is no longer unnaturally stunted by a society that intends to keep women as ignorant and obedient as possible. Women have just as much potential as men and should be granted to ability to fully utilize this potential. Women are also often told their easily influenced hearts, fragile feelings are admirable and attractive, but Wollstonecraft sees them as epithets of weakness (308). Men use these supposedly admirable characteristics in a condescending fashion to convince women they are objects of pity and their education is unneeded. Men belittle the work women do in the home and Wollstonecraft makes a valid point in asking how they are expected to govern their family or care for their children if they are denied the right to an …show more content…
Gregory and his conduct manual, A Father’s Legacy to His Daughters. Dr. Gregory’s first piece of advice about cultivating a fondness for fashion because it is “natural” to women is incredibly sexist and demeaning. To women, dressing nice is not natural; it is the only way they are noticed or able to gain power in society. His second piece of advice is even more shocking as he suggests that women lie about their feelings and not let their frustrations show, he suggests that women completely lose touch of their true selves to please their husbands. Dr. Gregory also advises women to stop expanding their knowledge if they intend to get married because men find educated women to be unattractive and abrasive. Wollstonecraft blatantly opposes this piece of advice and continues to support her belief that an educated woman makes a better wife and mother. According to Dr. Gregory’s advice a marriage is a system of slavery and as women slaves are incapable of attaining their virtue. For reason to rule the household, arbitrary power must be eliminated – both men and women are fully capable of reason as their souls are the same. Women’s tyrannical behavior is simply a response to the oppression of their husbands and these behaviors can be completely avoided if women are not seen as the “submissive charms” and given the same educational opportunities as their male