Mary Wollstonecraft was an 18th century British writer and advocate for women's rights. She grew up in poverty but received an education, working as a governess and starting a girls' school. She was the mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. As one of the first major feminists, she attacked restrictions on women's freedom and education in her writing. Her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, criticized the poor education available to women, which focused on "ladylike" skills and not intellectual development. It also criticized societal expectations that women should stay at home and argued this limited education made women "silly and vain".

1. Mary Wollstonecraft
A Vindication of the Rights of Women

2. Mary Wollstonecraft
• 1759-1797
• Grew up in poverty but still got
an education
▫ Worked as lady’s companion &
governess
▫ Started a girls’ school
• Mother of Mary Wollstonecraft
Shelley
▫ Author of Frankenstein
• One of the 1st major feminists
▫ Attacked restrictions on
women’s freedom and
education in her writing

3. Wollstonecraft’s Writing
• 1787  Thoughts on the Education
of Daughters
▫ Criticizing poor education for women
• 1790  A Vindication of the Rights
of Man
▫ Defending the French Revolution
• 1792  A Vindication of the Rights
of Woman
▫ Defending women’s rights

4. A Vindication of the Rights of Women
• Educational opportunities for women
▫ Much fewer & worse than for men
▫ Focused on learning “ladylike” skills
 Sewing, playing piano, being a good wife
• Societal expectations for women
▫ Ideas of feminine beauty
▫ Stay at home to run household
• …All of this has made women silly and vain

5. Paragraph 1
1. What is the tone of the 1st paragraph?
2. What does Wollstonecraft mean by
“either Nature has made a great
difference between man and
man, or…civilization…has been very
partial”?
3. What is the problem?
4. What is the cause of the problem?

6. Paragraphs 2 & 3
1. Women acquire a “smattering of
accomplishments” such as…?
2. How are women able to improve their
situation in life?
3. What has the instruction women have
received rendered them?
4. What does Wollstonecraft want
women to become?

7. Paragraphs 4 & 5
1. How is the word masculine “only a
bugbear”?
2. What does Wollstonecraft mean by
becoming more masculine?
3. What does Wollstonecraft mean when she
writes “this artificial weakness…gives birth
to cunning, which leads them to play off
those contemptible, infantine airs”?
4. What does she mean by the last sentence?

8. Think of problems women face today
(relationships, job market, reputation, etc.).
-Write about an issue from Austen and
Wollstonecraft’s perspectives.
▫ 5-6 sentences from Austen’s point of view: unconscious
social commentary (points out problems, but not blaming)
1.Describe the issue.
2.Explain the effects.
3.Must use 2 persuasive techniques.
▫ 7-8 sentences from Wollstonecraft’s point of view:
conscious social commentary (highlighting the cause of the
problems)
1.Describe the issue.
2.Explain the effects.
3.Point out what the cause of the problem is.
4.What should we do about it?