Since civilisation begun, the issue of morals and gender representation has been arising conflicts. Civilisation came with a competition for power and needed to be recognised. Women being on the receiving end, have been the victims of oppression and misrepresentation. Since the men were considered as the heads while the place of women reserved to be the kitchen, male chauvinism dominated the society. Civilisation came as an eye opener, women had to fight for their place, and equality was their major concern thus the rise of feminists. Feminists became the women who were aggressive, addressing issues the way they presented themselves, fighting for women’s rights, fighting alongside men to make sure the woman’s voice is heard whether in politics or the privacy of a home. Mary Wollstonecraft was such a woman. This essay discusses how Wollstonecraft’s essay reflects the revolutionary spirit of the romantic period and the validity of her arguments today.
The romantic period was characterised by women fighting for how they should be treated regarding relationship with a man. Women wanted to be treated right in the family as a wife and a mother. Wollstonecraft wanted women to be placed in a station where they would advance. She struggled for women to be equal to men so that there can exist an understanding between them. Education is the only way that a woman can be prepared to be a good companion to man. It is pointless for the truth to be hidden for one party while the other party has it. Earning Women’s co-operation will only be successful if they have equal education as men. That way, they will understand why they have to co-operate. Wollstonecraft addresses the issue of respect of the sexes; she talks about morality between men and women. She strongly despises tyranny as what brings down morality.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Today, women have succeeded in getting some of their rights respected. Clearly, its not satisfactorily. Every day we get to see women’s forums and pages on magazines advising women on this or that in the society. On the part of education, women still shy away from pursuing certain courses, and in most societies, those courses are considered as hard for women. Wollstonecraft advises women not to shy away but to pursue knowledge just like men do. In the political arena only strong women have survived the battles of the otherwise strong male counterparts. Women are advised to go out there and be strong just like men are. They are advised to fight alongside men so they can have equal rights. In relationships, women are still subject to men, their place being solely the kitchen. Nevertheless they are advised not to consider their place as the kitchen, but to have a say in the home as well. The male character can be weak and women may have to step from time to time. The house is no longer male dominated but equality is advised. That a man can sit down and listen to what a woman has to say the same way a woman would do.
In a society once male dominated, women have a lot of work to do to get their voice heard. Some societies are still dominated by male chauvinism and the woman remains weak. The ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft are very much needed in such societies. It is evident that it’s not only the woman who needs to understand how to respect the sexes but the man also needs to learn about morality. Gender equality is far from being achieved in our society. The many women forums and magazines preaching the gospel of feminism prove that there is still a lot to be achieved. The arguments of Mary Wollstonecraft will remain valid today as they were in the 1970s.
