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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
This book feels less like a calm, well-organized essay and more like a passionate rant from someone who’s sick and tired of the nonsense, and I kind of loved that energy. It’s like she’s saying, “I see through your nonsense, and I’m not afraid to say so.”
Her main argument is pretty simple: women are just as capable as men and deserve to be treated like full human beings. At the time, this was radical, but reading it now, it’s almost shocking to think how long it took for these ideas to gain traction. Women are not naturally inferior to men but seem so because they lack access to the same education. That core message still feels incredibly relevant, especially when you think about how education (or the lack thereof) still plays such a big role in shaping opportunities for women today. She’s all about reason, intellect, and equality, not just for the sake of women but because society as a whole would benefit.
Though, I noticed that while her ideas were revolutionary for her time, they aren’t exactly inclusive by today’s standards. Her focus is mainly on middle-class women, and she doesn’t really talk about issues of race or class that affect access to education. But it’s important to read this in the context of her era. It's groundbreaking just for existing.
Some parts of the book are a bit of a slog. The writing is definitely from the 18th century, so there are long sentences and a lot of repetition. At times, it felt like she was hammering the same point over and over, but I guess that’s what you do when you’re trying to get people to listen to something they’ve ignored for ages.
I've been meaning to read this since Miss Universe 2023, Sheynnis Palacios, mentioned Mary Wollstonecraft in her winning answer, and I think this book is worth reading, especially if you’re into feminism or history. It’s one of those works that reminds you how far we’ve come, but also how much we still have to fight for.
Her main argument is pretty simple: women are just as capable as men and deserve to be treated like full human beings. At the time, this was radical, but reading it now, it’s almost shocking to think how long it took for these ideas to gain traction. Women are not naturally inferior to men but seem so because they lack access to the same education. That core message still feels incredibly relevant, especially when you think about how education (or the lack thereof) still plays such a big role in shaping opportunities for women today. She’s all about reason, intellect, and equality, not just for the sake of women but because society as a whole would benefit.
Though, I noticed that while her ideas were revolutionary for her time, they aren’t exactly inclusive by today’s standards. Her focus is mainly on middle-class women, and she doesn’t really talk about issues of race or class that affect access to education. But it’s important to read this in the context of her era. It's groundbreaking just for existing.
Some parts of the book are a bit of a slog. The writing is definitely from the 18th century, so there are long sentences and a lot of repetition. At times, it felt like she was hammering the same point over and over, but I guess that’s what you do when you’re trying to get people to listen to something they’ve ignored for ages.
I've been meaning to read this since Miss Universe 2023, Sheynnis Palacios, mentioned Mary Wollstonecraft in her winning answer, and I think this book is worth reading, especially if you’re into feminism or history. It’s one of those works that reminds you how far we’ve come, but also how much we still have to fight for.
The only thing that isn't current about this original work of the feminist conscious is the syntax. Seriously, the ideas are relevant, the tone is relevant, the passion Wollstonecraft imbues her text with is relevant.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Contained many interesting reflections on other authors work such as Rossaeu and how their opinions of women and eduction have negatively affected the nation and humanity
challenging
funny
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
If you are able to historically contextualize your political philosophy, you can understand this work as an amazing piece of feminist ethics in post-French revolution Europe. Wollstonecraft is concise, a bit snarky (think Austen), and on point in the way she elucidates how politics and culture create and reinforce a cycle of women's seemingly "natural" inferiority. Furthermore, she provides a strong critique of the short-sightedness and inadequacies of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the extent to which this will continue to create political problems for women in to the future. She was farsighted in this as women did not get to vote in England until 1928 and France in 1945. I consider this a must-read for feminist history.
I will be thinking about the sections on friendship and mutual respect between the sexes forever.
Favorite Quotes:
Weakness may excite tenderness, and gratify the arrogant pride of man; but the lordly caresses of a protector will not gratify a noble mind that pants for, and deserves to be respected. Fondness is a poor substitute for friendship.
The man who can be contented to live with a pretty and useful companion who has no mind has lost in voluptuous gratifications a taste for more refined pleasures; he has never felt the calm and refreshing satisfaction. . . .of being loved by someone who could understand him.
I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.
Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.
There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride
Considering the length of time that women have been dependent, is it surprising that some of them hug their chains, and fawn like the spaniel?
Gracious Creator of the whole human race! hast thou created such a being as woman, who can trace thy wisdom in thy works, and feel that thou alone art by thy nature, exalted above her-for no better purpose? Can she believe that she was only made to submit to man her equal; a being, who, like her, was sent into the world to acquire virtue? Can she consent to be occupied merely to please him; merely to adorn the earth, when her soul is capable of rising to thee? And can she rest supinely dependent on man for reason, when she ought to mount with him the arduous steeps of knowledge?
Why are girls to be told that they resemble angels; but to sink them below women? Or, that a gentle, innocent female is an object that comes nearer to the idea which we have formed of angels than any other. Yet they are told, at the same time, that they are only like angels when they are young and beautiful; consequently, it is their persons, not their virtues, that procure them this homage.
Favorite Quotes:
Weakness may excite tenderness, and gratify the arrogant pride of man; but the lordly caresses of a protector will not gratify a noble mind that pants for, and deserves to be respected. Fondness is a poor substitute for friendship.
The man who can be contented to live with a pretty and useful companion who has no mind has lost in voluptuous gratifications a taste for more refined pleasures; he has never felt the calm and refreshing satisfaction. . . .of being loved by someone who could understand him.
I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.
Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.
There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride
Considering the length of time that women have been dependent, is it surprising that some of them hug their chains, and fawn like the spaniel?
Gracious Creator of the whole human race! hast thou created such a being as woman, who can trace thy wisdom in thy works, and feel that thou alone art by thy nature, exalted above her-for no better purpose? Can she believe that she was only made to submit to man her equal; a being, who, like her, was sent into the world to acquire virtue? Can she consent to be occupied merely to please him; merely to adorn the earth, when her soul is capable of rising to thee? And can she rest supinely dependent on man for reason, when she ought to mount with him the arduous steeps of knowledge?
Why are girls to be told that they resemble angels; but to sink them below women? Or, that a gentle, innocent female is an object that comes nearer to the idea which we have formed of angels than any other. Yet they are told, at the same time, that they are only like angels when they are young and beautiful; consequently, it is their persons, not their virtues, that procure them this homage.
challenging
informative
slow-paced