A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Ratings15
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings15
Average rating3.9
From Goodreads:
Writing in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity, and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft's work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage - Walpole called her 'a hyena in petticoats' - yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism.
Reviews with the most likes.
While many of the ideas in Mary Wollstonecraft's early feminist treatise have merit, the repetition of these ideas encased in swathes of commas makes it difficult to read. Perhaps, this book would really shine if an editor's handiwork were evident.
What is most appealing about this book is her proposal that women exercise, learn, and not spend all of their time on fashion, frippery, and flirtation in order to be good mothers and wives. These same ideas certainly apply today!
Another interesting section towards the end lays out a progressive education system, much of which is embedded in today's elementary schools.
It would have been interesting if Ms. Wollstonecraft revisited her opinions after her love affairs, which, unfortunately, blasted her reputation and the positive ideas she promoted. After her relationship with Captain Imlay, did she still think that physical love should stop after the early days of a marriage and that a neglected wife is the best mother?
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