Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Wollstonecraft vs Rousseau
I really enjoyed the way we went about learning the ideals of both Mary Wollstonecraft and Jean Jacques Rousseau. After listening to how devoted Mary Wollstonecraft was to the liberation of women, I was very suprised at what we learned Wollstonecraft did towards the second half of her life. I thought Mary Wollstonecraft really sold out on the ideals she discussed in her work The Vindication of the Rights of Women. Although Wollstonecraft once said that "Life did not depend on any 1 person" she tried to kill herself after she found out her husband Gilbert was cheating on her. I thought this to be extremely suprising because of the feminist views that Mary seemed to be so devoted to. On top of this, I thought it was also very suprising that Wollstonecraft got pregnant out of wedlock and then went on to marry Godwin. I was just wondering if anyone else had any ideas about this or comments on why they think Mary didnt quite live up to what she discussed in her vindication.
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I certainly agree with everything Wollstonecraft says about women's rights and equality between men and women, but i can see where you're coming from when you question her behavior throughout her life. But, even though I see why you would question this I don't think it is a big deal or should demote her and her accomplishments in any way. Yes she was the ultimate feminist and stood up for women's rights, but that does not necessarily mean she hates all men in general. Everyone has the right to be in love and I think we all know the saying that 'love hurts'. Just because she was a feminist does that mean she shouldnt feel hurt or betrayed by her husband's actions? No. Any woman in her right mind would feel the way she did, but I think it shows her strength as a woman when she got through that part of her life and went on to do great things. Mary was an opinionated person and she liked to surround herself with people who felt just as strongly about these issues as she did which is why I think she went on the marry Godwin. Also I think the baby out of wedlock issue would exemplify feminism. If a woman wants a child she should be able to have on without having a husband. I think Mary had a child because she wanted to and I dont think that is a bad thing. Altogether I think the fact that Mary experienced all of this in her life, makes her a better candidate for having better knowledge of all aspects of the life of a woman. With this knowledge she went on to start a revolution that continues to this day.
ReplyDeleteI think that Wollstonecraft's and our own definitions of "feminism" differ slightly. Today, people think of feminists as men-haters, brassiere-burners, unshaven protestors of the sixties and seventies. However, Wollstonecraft took a different (and perhaps just as radical) stand for women. She emphasized education for women. She and her sister opened a school for girls, and Wollstonecraft herself was self-taught. What she did not tolerate from men was violence. Her father and brother-in-law both abused women. She did not believe that women were the property of their husbands (which is why she opposed marriage as a contract). She even supported Rousseau, because he also believed that wives did not belong to their husbands. I think it was perfectly acceptable for Wollstonecraft to marry. Her first marriage was commonlaw (no ceremonies or contracts).
ReplyDeleteWhat Mary Wollstonecraft did in her life surprised me as well. She was a great feminist of her day. She attacked the role of women as "docile, domestic, and childlike" and she attacked women themselves for giving into the role of pleasing. And yet she seemed to play this role with Gilbert Ilmay. When she discovered the affairs that he was having, she tried to kill herself. You would think that a person with her views would take the "I don't need him" approach rather than taking the fact that he was cheating on her as a reason to end her life. Eventually she did come to this conclusion, and I really believe that this situation made her stronger. And after this she went on to again fall in love with William Goodwin. However, for me, this is where the surprise stops. I don't find her having a child out of wedlock against her morals and values. In fact, I see it as an example of everything she spoke of. Getting pregnant when she wasn't married, to me, seems to say that women can choose when to have a child. Having children isn't completely up to the man. You don't need a husband to have a child. So in some ways I do find some of the events in her life surprising, but in others I think that what she did was an example of her feminist views.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that what Mary did was a mixture of hypocritical behavior and that of a normal woman. I does not in the least surprise me that after her near suicide Wollstonecraft married William Goodwin. The marriage provided a kind of safe haven that she could go to after having been betrayed by her first common law husband. While this act may have been quite contrary to her belief that Miss, Mr, and Mrs are merely labels of property, she did something that brought comfort to her, her daughter Fannie, as well as her unborn daughter, Mary. She is not the only one who has done something different from her beliefs. Jean Jacques Rousseau is a prime example of this too. Rousseau believes that in order for the family foundation to stay strong, the child and the father must know exactly who the father is. If there is any doubt about who the father may be, the family structure crumbles. Rousseau put his children up for adoption. Isn't that an act of hypocrisy in and of itself? He willing is subjugating his children to a life where their family foundation is going to fall apart, at least in his eyes. Rousseau based on his principle beliefs should entirely disagree with the idea of adoption and yet, he complies with it. Wollstonecraft and Rousseau are not perfect people. It is in the element of being imperfect that makes them real people.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Wollstonecraft had a child out of wedlock shows that she practiced what she preached. It would seem as though she realized her hypocrisy in being so distraught about her unfaithful husband and made a conscious decision to change her ways. Throughout her life she shows that she can fend for herself, and her decision to have a child without a husband shows this even more. She is basically saying that she can serve the role of a male as the provider as well as the role of the idealistic woman in caring for the child.
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