Essay Questions: Mary Wollstonecraft and St. Paul's Cathedral Analysis

This homework assignment presents two essay questions. The first question analyzes Mary Wollstonecraft's views on women's rights as expressed in her 'Introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,' discussing the author's main ideas, the historical context of the French Revolution, and the author's arguments for women's empowerment and equal rights. The second essay question focuses on Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral, including details about the architect, the architectural style, the building's creation, its significance within London, and its symbolic importance as a national landmark, incorporating the historical context of its design and construction. The assignment demonstrates the student's understanding of historical and architectural concepts.

Running head: ESSAY QUESTIONS
Essay Questions
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY QUESTIONS
Essay Question 1
1. Who is the author of this passage?
The author of this passage Mary Wollstonecraft.
2. What is the source of this passage (what book does it come from)?
The source of this passage is “Introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”.
3. When was this source originally published?
The “Introduction to a Vindication of the Rights of Woman” was published in 1792
(Wollstonecraft, 2016).
4. Explain what the author is saying in this passage? What are the main ideas?
According to Mary Wollstonecraft, in the book “Introduction to a Vindication of the
Rights of Woman”, the two genders of men and women are extremely different from each other
where the women have always been treated as the inferior of the two genders. In the opinion of
Wollstonecraft, it is the factor of education which has contributed to the degrading position of
the women in the society (Wollstonecraft, 2016). The incomplete education of the women
necessarily makes them ignorant of many things in the society, therefore, making them
superficial in the context of the society. After their marriage, the position of such women
degenerates further due to the presence of their husband and children. In the passage mentioned
above, the main idea presented is that the female gender is often unable to stand alone as true
rational creatures. Females should understand the meaning of true happiness and satisfaction
without having to rely on the male gender. In this respect, Wollstonecraft appealed to the women

2ESSAY QUESTIONS
to be strong both in terms of their mental ability and physical strength so that they are at par with
women.
During the time that this book was written, the French Revolution had just taken place
whereby the common people were effective in over throwing the dictatorial monarchic power.
After the end of the French Revolution, a document was formulated which stressed for the rights
of the ‘man’. In this respect, a vacuum was felt within the female gender as there was no one
who advocated for their rights. In this regard, a need was felt to formulate a document which
would uphold the rights for women and this was provided in the year 1792 (Wollstonecraft,
2016). This document which called for the rights of women wanted to empower the female
gender with equal rights like those which were provided to man. However, although the women
were granted some amount of freedom in their personal sphere, they were not given much power
in the public sphere. The women were still denied the right to participate within the political
activities of the state which was still believed to be the realm of man.
This historical context is relevant to the main idea of the passage as the passage seeks to
provide an inspiration to the women gender to fend for themselves without having to rely on
their male counterpart to support them. The inclination of the male gender has always been
towards that of the trying to oppress the female gender. There is a need on the part of the women
to come out of this oppression by better educating themselves and understand the societal
structure which is so much prejudiced against them. It is only through this method that the
women of the society would be able to gain an equal status as that of the male gender.

3ESSAY QUESTIONS
Essay Question 2
1. Who is the artist or architect?
The architect of Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren. This cathedral is
one of the most popular buildings of London
2. Describe what kind of art or architecture the work is? In your description provide a
brief description of some key features of the work of art or architecture.
The Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral was remodeled after the Great Fire that engulfed
London. Sir Christopher Wren drew inspiration from the Renaissance trends which could be
noticed in the Italian architecture.
He designed the said cathedral, keeping in the mind the baroque style where he sought to
amalgamate the customs of the English medieval cathedrals with that of the traditional classical
design of Inigo Jones and the French architectures as created by Mansart ("St Pauls Cathedral -
Designing Buildings Wiki", 2019). The dome of the cathedral is observed to be modeled after the
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from whom it drew inspiration. He façade which was constructed in
the West side of the Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral had many wide steps in front of it, a two storied
portico and double Baroque towers. The building of Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral has an unique
characteristics where its crypt stretched across the entire building rather than being limited tu the
eastern end like most other cathedrals.
3. When was the work of art or architecture created?
The Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral was established in the year AD 604 ("St Pauls Cathedral
- Designing Buildings Wiki", 2019).

4ESSAY QUESTIONS
4. Does a specific location have special significance for the work of art or architecture?
The specific location of any art and architecture is important in the context that it
signifies the historical significance of the place. The building of the Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral
in London is significant as it is constructed on the Ludgate Hill which is the highest point of
London. The building was constructed in the memory of Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ and the
original church was established in the year 604 AD.
5. Analyze and interpret the significance of the work of art or architecture.
The Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral is considered to be one of the most important buildings
in the region of London as it is a symbol of national identity. The charm of this building has been
enhanced by the fact that during the wartime years of the Blitz, this building remained unscathed
("St Pauls Cathedral - Designing Buildings Wiki", 2019). Furthermore, this building has hosted
the funerals of some of the most eminent personalities within the region of London, such as those
of Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and has also seen the wedding of
Lady Diana with that of Prince Charles ("St Pauls Cathedral - Designing Buildings Wiki", 2019).

5ESSAY QUESTIONS
References:
St Pauls Cathedral - Designing Buildings Wiki. (2019). Designingbuildings.co.uk.
Wollstonecraft, M. (2016). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Vani Prakashan.