Modern people are said to live in a democratic and equal world, but it has not always been free of negative issues. It is challenging to deny that women experienced much discrimination a few centuries ago. Society considered them inferior to men, and it created numerous problems for females. Various writers have addressed the topic under consideration, and Mary Wollstonecraft, with her book A Vindication of the Rights of Women, is among them.
She tried to explain the reason why her society underestimated women and girls. This piece of literature was significant because it influenced John Stuart Mill and made him write The Subjection of Women. The two works are similar in the way that essential external phenomena determined the disadvantaged position of women in the world and that this situation should be addressed.
To begin with, one should mention that Wollstonecraft insists on the fact that women and men had different roles in society. She states that if females are obedient and beautiful, it “will obtain for them the protection of man” (Wollstonecraft 12). Consequently, the author says that women are subordinate to men, and the reason for this is in nature. It is so because girls are taught by their mothers and other members of society that their task only is to meet the men’s needs and expectations.
Furthermore, Wollstonecraft emphasizes that the situation above implies significant adverse consequences for women. Since they are overshadowed by males, their responsibilities are limited to household chores. Thus, Wollstonecraft describes this and explains that “they become a prey to prejudices, and taking all their credit opinions, they blindly submit to authority” (17). Even though some women have the potential to achieve success, for example, in politics, the given state of affairs explains why it is impossible.
In addition to that, the author attempts to discover why women face the problems above. According to Wollstonecraft, it is so because they are “educated like a fanciful kind of half being” (30). The writer stipulates that schools teach girls unnecessary skills and knowledge, including sentimentality, cunning, and others. Thus, Wollstonecraft states that schools do not make girls fully-fledged members of society, diminishing their mental and physical abilities. As a result, the author emphasizes that it is necessary to reform an education system. It refers to the fact that girls and boys should attend the same schools, learn the same subjects, and have the same or similar physical exercise (Wollstonecraft 49). This approach can help women develop and strengthen their rights as well as make them fully integrated into society.
At the same time, Mill’s book The Subjection of Women also addresses the topic under consideration. The author explains that numerous men consider women their property, and a marriage denotes that a man has full control over his wife. It is a severe social problem that deprives women of their rights and freedoms. It seems that Wollstonecraft influenced Mill’s vision of the issue because he also comments on how education aggravates the situation. According to Mill, girls obtain “education of the sentiments rather than of the understanding” (67). Consequently, schools do not teach girls how to exercise their rights.
Even though there is an evident impact of Wollstonecraft on Mill, the latter has introduced new information to the discussion. It refers to the fact that Mill considers the problem from a legal point of view. He mentions that legislation stipulates that women’s rights are weak in society. For example, Mill explains that when a woman enters into marriage, she vows lifelong obedience to her husband, and this fact determines her future behavior (23). The author demonstrates that it is immoral when one sex is legally subordinate to the other.
In addition to Wollstonecraft, Mill offers some recommendations as to how to overcome the problem. According to the information above, it is not a surprise that his ideas relate to legislation. On the one hand, the author states that women should have full rights to participate in education, trade, and other life spheres. On the other hand, Mill stipulates that women require the power of suffrage (40). If this happens, women will obtain an opportunity to address the issues that are significant to them on the political scene. As a result, it is the right option to provide women with their rights to create a loyal society.
In conclusion, it is possible to state that the two pieces of literature under consideration are essential feminist works. The two of them address the same topic of women’s rights in society, which explains substantial similarities between them. However, the books have some shared thoughts because Wollstonecraft influenced Mill. As a result, Mill’s work also describes the challenging position of women in society and the necessity to address it. However, the fact that Wollstonecraft believes that it is necessary to change education to solve the issue only was an impulse for Mill. The latter insists on the fact that one should introduce changes to legislation to witness any improvement concerning the topic under consideration.
Works Cited
Mill, John S. The Subjection of Women. 2013. Freedetorial. Web.
Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Women. 2019. Freedetorial. Web.