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A review by emeraldgarnet
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
1.0
This book should really be called A Vindication of the Rights of Middle Class Women.
Wollstonecraft clearly favours a middle class view of life, seemingly at the expense of working class women. She argues that middle class women spend time on needlework adorning already perfectly functional clothes and that these women would be better off paying "poor virtuous" women to sew for them so that they can instead develop their intellects through "gardening, experimental philosophy, and literature" (Ch. 4). Seemingly, Wollstonecraft's ideal world is one where middle class women can develop intellectually while working class women are merely employed in tasks too menial for middle class women.
Another issue is Wollstonecraft's frequent behaviour as a kind of devil's advocate. This technique was not all that convincing and kept bringing to mind the prospect that someone might take up Wollstonecraft's dare and 'prove' her wrong. For instance, Wollstonecraft argues for equal education for women and men and states that, "It follows then, I think, that from their infancy women should either be shut up like eastern princes, or educated in such a manner as to be able to think and act for themselves" (Ch. 3). Someone could easily go against Wollstonecraft's intentions and take her assertion as a dare to give women either an inferior education or no education at all.
Wollstonecraft has an unusual point of view on love and friendship, arguing that, "Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time. The very reverse may be said of love. In a great degree, love and friendship cannot subsist in the same bosom; even when inspired by different objects they weaken or destroy each other, and for the same object can only be felt in succession. The vain fears and fond jealousies, the winds which fan the flame of love, when judiciously or artfully tempered, are both incompatible with the tender confidence and sincere respect of friendship" (Ch. 4). This view seems like settling.
Wollstonecraft clearly favours a middle class view of life, seemingly at the expense of working class women. She argues that middle class women spend time on needlework adorning already perfectly functional clothes and that these women would be better off paying "poor virtuous" women to sew for them so that they can instead develop their intellects through "gardening, experimental philosophy, and literature" (Ch. 4). Seemingly, Wollstonecraft's ideal world is one where middle class women can develop intellectually while working class women are merely employed in tasks too menial for middle class women.
Another issue is Wollstonecraft's frequent behaviour as a kind of devil's advocate. This technique was not all that convincing and kept bringing to mind the prospect that someone might take up Wollstonecraft's dare and 'prove' her wrong. For instance, Wollstonecraft argues for equal education for women and men and states that, "It follows then, I think, that from their infancy women should either be shut up like eastern princes, or educated in such a manner as to be able to think and act for themselves" (Ch. 3). Someone could easily go against Wollstonecraft's intentions and take her assertion as a dare to give women either an inferior education or no education at all.
Wollstonecraft has an unusual point of view on love and friendship, arguing that, "Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time. The very reverse may be said of love. In a great degree, love and friendship cannot subsist in the same bosom; even when inspired by different objects they weaken or destroy each other, and for the same object can only be felt in succession. The vain fears and fond jealousies, the winds which fan the flame of love, when judiciously or artfully tempered, are both incompatible with the tender confidence and sincere respect of friendship" (Ch. 4). This view seems like settling.