A Vindication of the Rights of Women

When I read first skimmed Mary Wollstonecraft's article, I knew that it would be very lengthy and difficult to get through. However, the subject of the article provided great interest to me, because I find the story of how women's rights developed fascinating. As I opened began the article, I discovered that it is extremely informative and very persuasive in the points it makes towards feminists and women's rights as citizens.

Wollstonecraft did an amazing job at comparing men to women and showing that they are more alike than most people think. Yes, some men are more athletically fit or stronger, but that does not automatically make them better. The comparison brought me back to the days of elementary school when boys had cooties and were never talked to because they thought they were too good for the girls. I have no idea why that thought has always stuck in my head, but if eight-year-old boys ruined my days on the playground, I can't even begin to imagine a women's life in the workforce in the 1700's. 

I think another great theme Wollstonecraft addressed in her article was the fact that many men believe women are put on the earth to obey and serve them. This point is still a big issue in today's world because many men still believe women should only live to support him and his family. She made many great points throughout the article, but one of my favorites was when she discussed Eve being made out of Adam's ribs in the bible. This story is a very powerful one and I believe it symbolizes a man and a women in a committed relationship serving each other. God did not intend to make women for the sole purpose of serving men. That is absurd to think, and the way Wollstonecraft addressed that issue was incredible. 

Though there were some great points throughout the article, I also found it almost impossible to understand. I found myself having to look up almost half of the words in the article and having to reread paragraphs to even begin to understand the meaning of the long phrases. As it was written hundreds of years ago, I understand the language is complicated, but I wish that it could be modernized to make the article easier to comprehend because I believe Wollstonecraft made many beautiful points. 

I wish that I could talk to Wollstonecraft today and compare the times of women back in the 1700's to now. That would be a fascinating experience and though it is impossible, reading this article brought me the closest I could possibly be to discussing the differences in culture, not only women's rights but human rights, and women themselves. Although it was excruciatingly difficult to understand, I would argue this article is a good connection to the past of women and the history of women's rights.