Analysis Of Mary Wollstonecraft's Speech

Mary Wollstonecraft says that the difference between the human beings and animals must be measured by the degree of reason, virtue and knowledge. She says we need to begin to look at our most main assumptions. Later she begins to talk about the women that many men argue that women do not have enough mental strength to become morally good and bodily strength in comparison with men. Mary Wollstonecraft argues that it is unfair judgment. Woman are naturally weak she says and degraded by a combination of circumstances. Men argue women should not be educated otherwise they will try to strive for things that society would never give them.

1. According to Mary Wollstonecraft the “Consequently the perfection of our nature and capability of happiness

Mary Wollstonecraft does not agree with the statement that women don not have enough mentally strength to become morally good by themselves. She says that: “To account for, and excuse the tyranny of man, many ingenious arguments have been brought forward to prove, that the two sexes, in the acquirement of virtue, ought to aim at attaining a very different character: or, to speak explicitly, women are not allowed to have sufficient strength of mind to acquire what really deserves the name of virtue. Yet it should seem, allowing them to have souls, that there is but one way appointed by Providence to lead mankind to either virtue or happiness.” Mary Wollstonecraft believes that if women have souls they supposed to have rational power as men. “Thus Milton describes our first frail mother; though when he tells us that women are formed for softness and sweet attractive grace, I cannot comprehend his meaning, unless, in the true Mahometan strain, he meant to deprive us of souls, and insinuate that we were beings only designed by sweet attractive grace, and docile blind obedience, to gratify the senses of man when he can no longer soar on the wing of contemplation.” Then she added that the women should be kept as children and taught nothing but skill for pleasing the husbands. She agrees that children should be kept innocent. But there will come a time when a human should think for themselves. “These are exactly the arguments that I have used to children; but I have added,

Mary Wollstonecraft admits that men might be physically strength but unnecessary in modern society. The she indicated that it is not fair and to judge women and men with physically. “Bodily strength from being the distinction of heroes is now sunk into such unmerited contempt that men, as well as women, seem to think it unnecessary: the latter, as it takes from their feminine graces and from that lovely weakness the source of their undue power; and the former, because it appears inimical to the character of a gentleman. That they have both by departing from one extreme run into another, may easily be proved; but first it may be proper to observe, that a vulgar error has obtained a degree of credit, which has given force to a false conclusion, in which an effect has been mistaken for a cause.” But there are woman who are boast about how weak they are and it is sign on delicacy. ” I once knew a weak woman of fashion, who was more than commonly proud of her delicacy and sensibility. She thought a distinguishing taste and puny appetite the height of all human perfection, and acted accordingly.-- I have seen this weak sophisticated being neglect all the duties of life, yet recline with self-complacency on a sofa, and boast of her want of appetite as a proof of delicacy that extended to, or, perhaps, arose from, her exquisite sensibility: for it is difficult to render intelligible such ridiculous jargon.” Wollstonecraft says that men might have natural advantage over the