Luis A. Ordonez February 13th 2017 Smith- Section 517 HIST 105
Book of Ages Extra Credit Essay
Jane Mecom was thoughtful, compassionate, and naturally intellectual. In these aspects, she resembled her brother, Benjamin Franklin. The bond they shared could largely be attributed to these similarities. While she was competent and curious like her brother, Jane had one flaw: she was born a woman. This may seem to be a meaningless factor in determining her scholastic capabilities, but the society she grew up in limited her capacity based on that simple fact. The affect her gender had on her life is perhaps most accurately depicted through the analysis of Benjamin's; their seemingly equal natural abilities in early life serve as an index by which …show more content…
Creating a hierarchy that condemned intellectuals of the female sex essentially forged the path women were meant to take. These restrictions, along with government enforced laws prohibiting women from attending male schools, made it all but impossible to stray from the norm. Among the many factors that were predetermined at the time, there were niches suitable only for specific genders. Jane Mecom devoted a better part of her life to making soap. She wrote about her craft and spent her life perfecting the recipe. “Jane spent a good deal of her time not only making soap but thinking about peace,” (Lepore 193). Had Jane been allowed to pursue an education, and had she not been restricted to soap making, she may have dedicated that part of her life to tenaciously fighting for peace. Gender had restricted her as it had the majority of women in her society.
It is evident through Jane Mecoms various letters, that she was able yet disadvantaged. Benjamin Franklin lived a life of adventure, importance, and opportunity. Both of them were skillful and likeminded, but it was Jane who failed to reach her capacity. She had spent a majority of her life in the same home in Boston, while her brother made a world renowned reputation for himself. The course of Jane and Benjamin’s lives were determined entirely by their sex. This injustice was a common result of the social restrictions imposed on women, and it limited the capacity of society throughout all of colonial
Book of Ages Extra Credit Essay
Jane Mecom was thoughtful, compassionate, and naturally intellectual. In these aspects, she resembled her brother, Benjamin Franklin. The bond they shared could largely be attributed to these similarities. While she was competent and curious like her brother, Jane had one flaw: she was born a woman. This may seem to be a meaningless factor in determining her scholastic capabilities, but the society she grew up in limited her capacity based on that simple fact. The affect her gender had on her life is perhaps most accurately depicted through the analysis of Benjamin's; their seemingly equal natural abilities in early life serve as an index by which …show more content…
Creating a hierarchy that condemned intellectuals of the female sex essentially forged the path women were meant to take. These restrictions, along with government enforced laws prohibiting women from attending male schools, made it all but impossible to stray from the norm. Among the many factors that were predetermined at the time, there were niches suitable only for specific genders. Jane Mecom devoted a better part of her life to making soap. She wrote about her craft and spent her life perfecting the recipe. “Jane spent a good deal of her time not only making soap but thinking about peace,” (Lepore 193). Had Jane been allowed to pursue an education, and had she not been restricted to soap making, she may have dedicated that part of her life to tenaciously fighting for peace. Gender had restricted her as it had the majority of women in her society.
It is evident through Jane Mecoms various letters, that she was able yet disadvantaged. Benjamin Franklin lived a life of adventure, importance, and opportunity. Both of them were skillful and likeminded, but it was Jane who failed to reach her capacity. She had spent a majority of her life in the same home in Boston, while her brother made a world renowned reputation for himself. The course of Jane and Benjamin’s lives were determined entirely by their sex. This injustice was a common result of the social restrictions imposed on women, and it limited the capacity of society throughout all of colonial