Essay on Mary Wollstonecraft's Views on Women's Degradation (Reader)

This essay analyzes Mary Wollstonecraft's perspective on the degradation of women in the 18th century, as presented in her work, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," featured in the Texts and Traditions Reader. Wollstonecraft argues that women are 'degraded' due to societal constraints that prioritize beauty and domesticity over education and intellectual development. She criticizes the limitations placed on women, advocating for equal educational opportunities and challenging traditional gender roles. Wollstonecraft emphasizes the importance of women as companions to men, not just wives, and calls for a balance of reason and feeling, ultimately urging women to take responsibility for their own social advancement. The essay uses quotations from the text to support its claims and focuses on Wollstonecraft's arguments for women's equality and their potential contributions to society, highlighting her criticism of the societal norms that hindered women's progress. The essay concludes with a call for women to recognize their potential and strive for a more equitable society.

Running Head: ENGLISH ESSAY
English Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH ESSAY
Question- Based on the Wollstonecraft reading in the Reader (pp. 9-11), explain how
Wollstonecraft perceives women to be ‘degraded’ in her day by traditional attitudes on
how they (women) should behave.
The famous proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, a British by birth is the writer of “A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1972). In the entire history of feminist philosophy, it was
one of the earliest works. In this work, Mary Wollstonecraft fights against the conventional
theories in the political and educational grounds. The time when the work was published was
smeared with the effects of the French Revolution. According to the views of the 18th century,
women should not have higher education and any role to play in the political field. Mary raised
her voice with the outspoken words and claimed that women are essential to the nation. They
must have the rights to equally contribute to the society and politics. They must be viewed as the
‘companions’ to their husbands and not as mere ‘wives’ to take care of the household and
children.
In the 18th century it was thought that women should be educated domestically. In this
work Mary Wollstonecraft, calls for equality and balance between the sexes in every aspects of
life. One of the most principal arguments of this work is that women should be provided
education equally and rationally because it was a stern belief that women are incapable of
rational or abstract thought. Hence, they must be engaged with the child rearing and
homemaking tasks. In Texts and Traditions Reader 2018’, Wollstonecraft claims that “my main
argument is built on this simple principle, that if [woman] be not prepared by education to
become the companion of man, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth
must be common to all". She suggests that without the contribution of educated women, society
will definitely degenerate since, mothers are the primary teachers of the children. The society is

2ENGLISH ESSAY
apparently built by men but women are the actual promoters of modern society. They appear
incapable because the male dominated society has refused to educate them. She despises the
limitations of the contemporary society that dictates women to focus on their beauty and not on
their brains/ intellect. In Texts and Traditions Reader 2018’, Wollstonecraft quotes "taught from
their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and, roaming
round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison". It reveals that in her time (even today), this
was the most damaging ideology that restricts a woman within a particular sphere not allowing
her to go beyond. She discards this deep- rooted conventionality and claims that women achieve
much more than merely putting attention on their outward accomplishments. They might as well
study business, politics, statistics and can hold the reigns of society, if given the opportunity.
The ‘Vindication on Rights of Woman’, cannot be referred to as a completely feminist
work, but yes, it is about women and for women. She further argues and puts the question that
when men and women are equal in the eyes of god, why are they differentiated on earth? She
demanded that the men must also adhere to the virtues that are only supposed to be conducted by
women in the 18th century. Men and women must understand the sanctity of a mutual
relationship called ‘marriage’ and separate roles in it. In this work, she calls for initiative from
the part of men rather than women because they can potentially bring the social and political
changes that she proposed in the wok. Since women are mostly uneducated (in the 18th century),
they cannot change their own situation by themselves.
In this work she is also critical about the excessive rather false sensibility, especially in
women. She criticizes those women who are driven by their “momentary gust of feeling”
(Wollstonecraft, p. 9). Thee rational thinking get hindered by the senses women fall prey of. The
society has categorized them as incapable of rational thinking because women themselves have

3ENGLISH ESSAY
destroyed their position by separating ‘feeling’ and ‘reason’. Mary Wollstonecraft has suggested
in the work that “reason” and “feeling” are not independent, rather they complete each other.
Regarding marriage, she is of the opinion that two virtuous young people marry . . . if some
circumstances checked their passion". It suggests that marriage is a pious bond that must be built
on friendship and companionship rather than sexuality, “calmly let passion subside into
friendship"(Wollstonecraft, p. 11). Women are also capable of providing friendship and
compassion apart from being viewed as ‘sexual idols’.
On a concluding note, it can be said that women must take the responsibility to uplift
their social position by themselves. The moment they realize what they can do and what they
should do, the situation of the society is bound to be changed.

4ENGLISH ESSAY
Reference
Wollstonecraft, M (2018) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in Texts and Traditions Reader
2018. Western Sydney University.