A Response to “The Vindication of the Rights of a Woman”

This article provides a response to Mary Wollstonecraft's book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. The author discusses the need for women's rights and empowerment, and highlights the discrimination and objectification of women in society. The article stresses the importance of rational education for women and the need for women to be treated as human beings.

A RESPONSE TO “THE VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF A WOMAN”
Introduction
The book “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and
Moral Subjects” was written by Mary Wollstonecraft in 1791, in the backdrop of the French
and English revolutions. This created a storm, as it opposed the general beliefs of the time,
and stood up for women rights and empowerment.
Response
This book, which was a scathing response to Talleyrand, a French Statesman, who in
his recommendations to the national system of education, women must not be empowered
enough to aspire equality and education”, was also dedicated to him. In her writing,
Wollstonecraft has covered a few examples of how females are treated with disdain, and
stresses the need for providing women the same rights as men, even though the word
“equality” is absent. In the first paragraph, Wollstonecraft states that she is very concerned
that both genders have been dealt with a great sense of partiality (p.9). She says that women
have been neglected the rights education, and have been treated as weak creatures.
Women have historically been treated as sex objects, and the perception of men have
long focused on the sexuality of the female alone. Quoting Wollstonecraft, “…men, who
consider females more women than human creatures, have been anxious to make them
alluring mistresses, rather than affectionate wives and rational mothers… (p.9) ” She feels
that this quality has been ingrained so deeply in the minds of women, that they are not willing
to think out of it, by putting to good use their abilities, and as a result they do not get any
respect, even which they deserve. Wollstonecraft says that women are indeed physically
weaker than men, and that it is the law of nature to be so (p.9). However, the author says that
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it would not be fair for the men to use this weakness to subjugate women in every other field,
thus controlling and demeaning them. The author makes an appeal to the women not to let
their gender come in the way of their self-respect; as many women she feels fall for the
momentary sexual adoration men provide them. She calls for women to get accustomed to be
treated like rational creatures rather than graceful soft creatures.
The author focuses on one major aspect of life which a woman has been trained for –
marriage. She says that women have been conditioned that the only way they can rise up in
the society is by marriage, and that it is considered one of her accomplishments. This only
leads to even more emphasis on beauty and sexuality. The author questions that how would
such women, who only focus on seducing a man, bring up her children wisely, or run a
family effectively? In (p.10), Wollstonecraft says that these women, who have been bereft of
education and have been treated like sexual beings, end up being discarded once their
physical beauty loses its charm. She says that this intent to degrade and objectify women and
to deny them education would only be harmful to the society, given that a rationally thinking
woman would be able to create a rational offspring and a practical society in the future.
She quotes another writer, who had questioned the purpose of women over forty in
this world. She writes that the notion of women being sexual objects has risen from the fear
of men that if women were given the free hand, they would turn more “masculine”, and
would become stronger than women (p.11). The author challenges the men to grow more
chaste and modest, and says that if women do not grow to be wise and intelligent, it could be
accepted that women are indeed weaker. She says “…some women always govern their
husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect would always govern” (p.11). The
author states that she finds the complaints of women being termed unintelligent hypocritical.
She says that if women were not a fleeting pastime, then why were they deliberately kept
ignorant? She defines education as that which would enable independence; in her own words
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“would enable the individual attain such habits of virtue, as will render it independent”.
Endorsing Rousseau’s opinions that speak of men’s respect, she extends it to women, and
calls for the inculcation of rationality to women, as if women would hold on to the notions of
beauty and sexuality, they would forever be considered to be of lesser intelligence than men.
She also states that the term “innocent” is apt for a child, but is a synonym for weak if used
for an adult. The constant se of the term innocent for a woman is a process to dumb her
down, so that man can use his superiority to his advantage.
The author stresses on the need for rational education of women, and that women
must be given a chance to contribute to the society. She blames the prevailing situations of
the time to the general thought process and belief that women were too fragile to be able to
think with clarity and execute decisions. Wollstonecraft says that one of the most important
factors that have been instrumental in the invisible slavery of women is the absence of order,
especially in education. She states that the education man received was structural; women
were restricted to learn alongside man and whatever they learnt, they did in-between their
domestic chores and grooming lessons. She argues that when education was the same, why
was the discrimination between genders in practice? To quote her statements “All the
difference that I can discern, arises from the superior advantage of liberty which enables
(man) to see more of life… (p.12)”
Conclusion
To conclude, Mary Wollstonecraft has been the pioneer of feminism and women’s
suffrage way back in the 18th century, and she raises valid points that debunk the patriarchal
and misogynist mindset of the society at that time. It is important that women be treated as
human beings, and inculcates rational thinking, for the betterment of the society at large.
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Reference
Wollstonecraft, M. (2018). A Vindication of the rights of Woman, In texts and Tradition.
(Original work published in 1792) (pp. 8-12). Western Sydney University.
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