Wollstonecraft argues here that what in her day was regarded as proper conduct for women allowed men to define them as weak and frivolous. What conduct does she refer to, and what would she substitute in its place? What advice does she have for men?
Considering Mary Wollstonecraft's dominant motif in, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman being the equality among women and men, Wollstonecraft reiterates throughout her piece the indistinguishable stereotype of what women have become in the eyes of their "superior," men, and what men are viewed as in comparison. When speaking of women's roles in society, Wollstonecraft notes that the "soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness," The thought of women by men forever reflects the passivity of their character. In a call to action, Wollstonecraft uses herself as an example of how to conquer the lingering stereotype of weakness by stating, "I shall disdain to cull my phrases or polish my style; I aim at being useful, and sincerity will render me unaffected; for; wishing rather to persuade by the force of my arguments, than dazzle by the elegance of my language," Combatting the statement of women being frivolous, Wollstonecraft views that women are far more dangerous and successful by using their intelligence to get them places rather than their beauty and sex appeal, which they are most known to possess and be only useful in the fact of. As for the author's guidance of how men should treat women, Wollstonecraft's advice was for men to not to conform to other men's habits of making women feel inferior to their presence.
In paragraph 7, Wollstonecraft writes that, although she is encouraging women to become more masculine, "their apparent inferiority with respect to bodily strength must render them, in some degree, dependent on men in the various relations of life." In the context of her whole argument, what point is she making here? To what extent do you think this attitude still exists today? Why?
Wollstonecraft makes the argument that women may not exactly have the same body type of men such as the fact that they lack muscle mass for example, therefore drawing to the conclusion that in some aspects of life's situations in which require a stronger human being to complete a task may require the assistance of men. Needy women who need man to do every physical task there may be such as opening jars etc., etc. still exist today just for the reassurance and stereotype that men are there beside a woman for protection.
Would you say that women at the beginning of the twenty-first century have achieved equality with men? You may base your essay on personal observations as well as research if you wish.
I have gathered through recent history that women have indeed reached some amount of equality with men in the twenty-first century, more so than what was present in the eighteenth century, but still not entirely at a stopping point in which women should give up their fight for true, full justice. In speaking of the most present day, recognizable women accomplishments, Hillary Rodham Clinton reached second place in the Democratic primaries and also was acknowledged as being the first woman in whom won the most delegate votes and primaries. (21 states, more than 18 million votes) Although women have advanced greatly in reaching equal job profession positions as their male competition, equal pay amongst these positions has not yet been given. Women make only 91 cents of every dollar a male makes, and although a nine cent difference may not seem as much, the distinction adds up to a "$431,000 lifetime wage gap." Until the gender discrimination ends in all aspect of American society, women will not be done fighting for equality.