I will start by saying that this book was right up my alley. I love nothing more than a strong women who supports what she believes and writes. I loved some of Wollstonecraft's arguments. For instance, she starts the first chapter by saying that while physically, men are in fact "stronger" than women-there is no way around it-intellectually, if placed on the same level, men and women would be the same. She argues throughout this book that women are supressed because of the avalibility of resources--not of capability. I found myself interested in Wollstonecraft's life and other works she wrote. However, I found something that made me question the things she said.
So storytime:
Apparently Mary was madly in love with a American man named Gilbert. They were in love for several years and in a bond similar to a civil union. Mary did not believe in marriage. This apparently arose from her past of having an abusive father and a sister who lived with an abusive husband. In this time period in France, it was illegal for a woman to try to divorce her husband. Even if he was beating or raping her, she had to stay with him because she had no rights. Because of these circumstances, Mary did not want to get married. Her and Gilbret were involved, even if French law forbade sex outside of marriage. She then got pregnant with a daughter named Fanny.
Now, with that backstory in mind. Gilbert ended up leaving for a trip to England and never returned. Mary sent him countless letters begging him to return. She then eventually took her daughter to England to try to see Gilbert and convice him to love her again. When Gilbert refuses, she tries to overdose because she states that she has no will to live. Gilbert is able to get to her in time so she is not successful in her sucicide. She goes on a journey with him and returns where he also returns to another woman. Because Mary is so depressed, she tries to kill herself again by drowning. She is saved again.
I guess what I am trying to get at is that in this book, Wollstonecraft repeadtly tries to show a feminist view. But, from her history, she is more reliant on men than she wants to believe. She states in her book that love can be blind. I think what Mary is missing is that we were not created to be one greater than the other. We were created to be compatible. She didn't need Gilbert because she wasn't smart enough to live on her own. She needed him because we were created to have a physical being to fill that hole.
PS: I commented on Rebecca and Abby's posts
So storytime:
Apparently Mary was madly in love with a American man named Gilbert. They were in love for several years and in a bond similar to a civil union. Mary did not believe in marriage. This apparently arose from her past of having an abusive father and a sister who lived with an abusive husband. In this time period in France, it was illegal for a woman to try to divorce her husband. Even if he was beating or raping her, she had to stay with him because she had no rights. Because of these circumstances, Mary did not want to get married. Her and Gilbret were involved, even if French law forbade sex outside of marriage. She then got pregnant with a daughter named Fanny.
Now, with that backstory in mind. Gilbert ended up leaving for a trip to England and never returned. Mary sent him countless letters begging him to return. She then eventually took her daughter to England to try to see Gilbert and convice him to love her again. When Gilbert refuses, she tries to overdose because she states that she has no will to live. Gilbert is able to get to her in time so she is not successful in her sucicide. She goes on a journey with him and returns where he also returns to another woman. Because Mary is so depressed, she tries to kill herself again by drowning. She is saved again.
I guess what I am trying to get at is that in this book, Wollstonecraft repeadtly tries to show a feminist view. But, from her history, she is more reliant on men than she wants to believe. She states in her book that love can be blind. I think what Mary is missing is that we were not created to be one greater than the other. We were created to be compatible. She didn't need Gilbert because she wasn't smart enough to live on her own. She needed him because we were created to have a physical being to fill that hole.
PS: I commented on Rebecca and Abby's posts
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