Very Intelligent Address On The Subject example essay topic

Mary Wollstoncraft's book, 'The Vindication of the Rights of Women,' is an incredibly insightful look into the life of women in the early portion of this century. It is a philosophical examination of the condition of women, in relationship to some very basic rights, and is also a very enlightening look at how short a distance we really have come, as a society, in relationship to our perceptions of women. Wollstoncraft presents herself as an incredibly enlightened individual who looks at her gender as a subject which should be seen as reasonable creatures, rather than brutes or heroines. She begins her book with words which clearly illustrate her concerns: 'After considering the historic page, and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and I have sighed when obliged to confess that either Nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. I have turned over various books written on the subject of education, and patiently observed the conduct of parents and the management of schools; but what has been the result? -- a profound conviction that the neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore, and that women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion. ' From this excerpt we can clearly understand that Wollstoncraft is not merely venting anger and describing realities that are false.

She is not necessarily angry or bitter about the realities she sees before her, but rather, is puzzled and seems determined to somehow understand what it is that causes the realities she sees. While there is the use of some negative words such as 'weak' and 'wretched,' these are essentially words of the time and they only further the truth of what the author is witness to. Here is a woman who is of obvious intelligence who is witness to the misunderstanding that appears to follow all women around. She illustrates that women are denied the ability to openly obtain a useful education, but rather kept ignorant and put upon this undeniable pedestal that insists women do not need to possess such knowledge, for it would likely 'ruin their pretty little faces. ' Wollstoncraft's book is full of lines such as the following: But not content with this natural preeminence, men endeavor to sink us still lower, merely to render us alluring objects for a moment; and women, intoxicated by the adoration which men, under the influence of their senses, pay them, do not seek to obtain a durable interest in their hearts, or to become the friends of the fellow-creatures who find amusement in their society. ' She details, over and over, how each and every situation somehow illustrates how men and women are not equal, and how women, by their own fault as well, are bound to be seen as the heroine or the brute.

They will be seen as marrying material, or spinster material, all of which revolves around the services the women can provide for the men and for reproduction purposes. Her intent in addressing this philosophical subject can be clearly seen in following address to the women:' My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists. I wish to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity, and that kind of love which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt. ' Throughout Wollstoncraft's book, one of the most fascinating illustrations we see, can be directly related to present day realities. As has been stated previously, this book is from the early part of the century, it is incredibly interesting to note, however, that it was only a mere 70 years ago that it was published.

This is not a relatively long time, as far as history and change goes. Wollstoncraft has, in many ways, illustrated realities that have been with women for ages, and will doubtless be with their gender for quite some time. Many might argue with this statement and with this assumption, stating that women have gained the right to vote, they are equally employed for the most part, and they generally enjoy all the privileges given to men in this society. While this may appear to be true on the cover of magazines and in some parts of our own personal lives, this is truly not a reality for the most part. All we have to do is look open up one page of unsolicited email to discover what it is that sells, in relationship to women; sex.

Men still look at women as objects of beauty and as objects of reproduction. The most attractive women are the slender voluptuous women who are the opposite of muscular and masculine looking. Women, even those who work, are still the ones portrayed on television as the caregivers, the mothers, the wives, the less than equal mate, whose job is in the home, even if she works full time outside the home. These are our realities, realities which many people shrug off without even notice. One of the sad realities, in relationship to Wollstoncraft's book and her attempt to get women to understand, is that women still do not understand the essential root of the problem. While women may be in a position today, where they obtain an education and maintain a very intellectual position, and perhaps even go so far as to find a mate that treats them equally, there are still millions of women who strive to be nothing more than a pretty picture for the men.

How many women spend thousands of dollars to enlarge their breasts? Do they do that so they look better in general or do they do this to gain the attention of men, in a sexual and reproductive manner? In many ways, Wollstoncraft's is a story of yesterday and today. It is a philosophical approach to the inequality or the disrespect of men in relationship to women, as well as a look into how women see each other and their own gender. It is a very intelligent address on the subject of such realities. One wonders if Wollstoncraft was aware of how relevant her philosophical approach would be 70 years later.

Upon reading her book, one would have to say that Wollstoncraft was intelligent enough to recognize that such realities would never change in such a relatively short period of time.