Vindication of the Rights of Women

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft released a monster of a book, challenging everyone from ministers to government upholds. It released a storm of controversy, and sparked the first flames of feminism. Her sharp pen put a choke hold on everything from how women were treated, to the education they received. It forced men to blink their eyes angrily at a powerful force in both politics and psychology. And for the very first time, their blinking eyes returned a woman's figure.

The book portrayed anger and frustration, built up inside of Wollstonecraft when she taught at Newington Green School, early in her life. Her pupils were young women, and she thought she would expand their mind, by teaching them things, making their journey into woman hood easier. However, she soon realized that education was just a game. A game run by men, ensuring slavery in women.

The women who she taught were mere slaves to the men, who controlled the schools, and therefore all knowledge that went into these young women. Mary Wollstonecraft was terribly angered, and shocked that men were treated women like they were handy tools. The men ignored the possibility that women to were unique individuals, who had a mind of their own, and their own desire to succeed and explore life to all of its potential.

Into the late 1700's however, women weren't thought of like that. They were merely objects, to bring the men pleasure and a sense of completeness. Only Mary saw the immense irony. She argued that without women, men would be blindly lost, confused and in chaos. If women were keeping life on a balance, then they should be regarded as unique individuals. Their learning should not be restricted to what men want them to learn. They should learn to grow their minds, so their horizons and future would not be so dependant on others. After all, if men were all and mighty, the ones keeping them at bay should be even inferior.

The Effects of the Storm

Vindication of the Rights of Women caused a storm of controversy. There were three major plots against Mary Wollstonecraft;

1.

She was friends with Richard Price, a well known Rational Dissenter. Price had offended many Christians in the past, by rejected traditional values about confessions and sins. His views sparked a great controversy and debate. Eventually, he was labeled as a Atheists, by all Anglicans.

Being a friend of an Anglican didn’t really help your reputation. Mary was like a rose in the pavement, going against the laws of nature, but more importantly, the laws of her religion. She was brought up Anglican, yet she listening to Price and his ideas. She went to his preaching, and she took in all of the words he was saying. Her views changed, and started to go against the grain. This new look on things brought up such classics as Vindications of the Rights of Women, but also hatred from the Christians, who believed in classic views.

2. 

Edmund Burke led the attack on radicals in Britain. He labeled them as insects, deadly and ready to infect anybody who would listen to them. Mary Wollstonecraft was being portrayed as a harmful disease. Ironically enough, labeling was the one thing she was trying to fight.

3.

Women at this time weren't allowed to speak out against the mainstream. Mary Wollstonecraft alarmed many when she decided to portray her views to the public. Women were thoughts of as weak creatures, incapable of learning and doing things apart from serving there masters. So a woman philosopher was even stranger. These views separated Mary from the general public, forcing her to trust only friends.

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A Vindication of the Rights of Man

Events Leading to the Book

Richard Price was a well known Radical, who was famous for speaking out against the government, sometimes risking his life. One day, in November 1789, he was giving a speaking, favoring the French Revolution. Mary Wollstonecraft just happened to be at the sermon.

Price argued that the British people should mirror the French, and have the right to remove a bad king from the throne. He had the power in his hands, and spoke as fiercely as John Locke himself, who he shared similar ideas with. However, Price had many enemies, including one named Edmund Burke, who spoke out against him, calling him a danger to society.

Mary Wollstonecraft got inspired by Richard Price’s speech, and his incredible self confidence. For the first time in her life, she decided to speak out against authority, and distributed her views through the mighty pen.

Mary Wollstonecraft's Rant

To support her friend Richard Price, Mary Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights of Man, and instantly got tremendous respect from other Radicals. In her book, which was made in pamphlet style, she spoke out against Edmund Burke, and supported Richard Price’s views. Not only that, she put her mind in the spotlight, letting the world know her views on the slave trade, hunting laws and most importantly, the treatment of the poor.

She supported her friend Richard Price, but also got out deep inner feelings towards how her country was running. There are some of the points that brought her into the underground limelight:

1.

Mary Wollstonecraft argued for "god given rights" (Jone Johnson Lewis / Rights in the Air). She mirrored John Locke's views, in wanting equal right for all people, whether they be woman or men.

2.

She also defied culture. She wanted to spread equal rights past just "blond hair, blue eyes" type of people. She preached that Catholic men should be treated with the same dignity, respect and fairness as Protestant men. Rights should be given without religious borders.

3.

She spoke against the way society was running. It wasn't just one prospect of life that was twitching her nerve, it was the general view towards life that society had. She blamed in on poor government and leadership.

She spoke against the slave trade and hunting laws. She preached that we as the people were loosing respect for the nature around us, only caring about stuff that will give us money. This type of thought would later be focused more towards men, upon to release of her "Vindication of the Rights of Woman".