Mary Wollstonecraft wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” in 1792, advocating for feminism in literature. In this essay, she examines the treatment and perception of women in 18th century England from a male perspective. Through her writing, Wollstonecraft strongly criticizes the patriarchal society, pointing out the failures of men and the nation while also addressing passages that condemn women.
In 18th century England, women were not regarded as equals but rather deemed as “objects” whose destinies were predetermined from birth. These women possessed physical attributes such as arms, legs, eyes, and mouths, yet lacked intelligence, passion, individuality, and authority. They were exclusively viewed as decorative entities, restricted to nurturing the family and fulfilling societal expectations. Recognizing this perception, Wollstonecraft draws a parallel between women and flowers in her essay.
Wollstonecraft argues that the behavior and manners of women indicate that their minds are not in a healthy state. She uses a simile of flowers planted in overly rich soil to illustrate her point: like these flowers, women’s strength and usefulness are sacrificed for beauty. The flowers’ showy leaves wilt and fade before reaching maturity, just as women’s potential is often disregarded. Wollstonecraft’s flower simile plays a crucial role in her vision of the emergence of independent women.
In her passage, Wollstonecraft starts by stating that the behavior and etiquette of women illustrate that their mental condition is not well. Although this quote is not a direct comparison, it holds significance. Wollstonecraft expresses her worry about women’s mental well-being by asserting that they were unable to express their uniqueness and intellectuality due to societal disapproval.
According to Wollstonecraft’s quote, women are compared to flowers, as she states, “(…) like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty (…)”. This single line represents Wollstonecraft’s main argument. It implies that just like there are many different breeds of beautiful flowers, there are also numerous types of women with their own distinctive forms of physical beauty.
According to Wollstonecraft, when flowers are planted in a rich soil, their strength and usefulness are sacrificed in favor of beauty. Similarly, once a woman is instructed in the cultural norms regarding her behavior, dress, speech, dance, cooking, and numerous other aspects of life, there is no further room for her to learn. Consequently, she also sacrifices her strength and usefulness in pursuit of beauty.
The usage of the word “sacrificing” by Wollstonecraft holds significant power as it reflects negatively on the women who are giving up important physical qualities. Wollstonecraft expresses her dissatisfaction with women sacrificing their strength and usefulness for the sake of beauty, which she considers a trivial aspect in society. The final part of Wollstonecraft’s statement refers to the “flaunting leaves” representing the beautiful women in English society. These women have strived to achieve beauty, which in turn attracts a potential husband. However, as time passes, their beauty fades with age, and they become unable to bear children. Consequently, all their usefulness is exhausted, causing them to fade and be disregarded before reaching maturity. These women have lived under a curse, receiving only what society deemed necessary for their gender, and when they age, everyone turns a blind eye to them.According to Wollstonecraft, providing women with a comprehensive education would greatly enhance their lives and bring about positive changes in society. This would allow women to showcase their “strength” and “usefulness” to a wider audience.
