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Kendra Gordon
Rago
ENGL
November 22, 2015
We Need Her
The Feminist Movement began in the 1960s, but there have been
traces of feminism way before then. Women have been fighting for the right
to be respected and the right to be equal to men for centuries. Women have
been following the footsteps of Wollstonecrafts feminist theory for decades,
even though the language have changed women are still fighting for the
same thing. In the excerpt from The Vindication of the Rights of Women,
Wollstonecraft mentions how important it is that a women has her own
identity separate from that of a mans, and also how important it is that
women be educated. Today, womens rights have come a long way but it still
has so far to go. In modern times, most women have outgrown the stigma
that they need a male figure to control or support them; however, there are
men today who use words like irrational and emotional to try and keep
women dependent on them. Words like this mold the rest of society, both
men and women, into believing that women cannot hold important titles
such as Senator, Congressperson, or even President. Also, today we have
Politicians speaking on the women anatomy, and making laws for women
when they have no understanding of what it is like to be a women.

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First, I want to compare the tone and message of feminism from the
18th century compared to the tone and message of feminism today.
Wollstonecraft uses tricks the reader into thinking that she is playing her lane
as a women so the reader will feel comfortable. While on the other hand, she
is setting you up for the attack. In the introduction she says My own sex, I
hope, will excuse me if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of
flattering their fascinating graces, (Wollstonecraft 88). By apologizing first
she makes the reader feel safe but goes on to unapologetically say that she
is going to treat women in this text like they should be treated, like rational
creatures. In todays language that would be considered shade. She only
does asks for forgiveness once, and from there on she speaks without
hesitation.
Women are told from infancy, and taught by the example of their
mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly
termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, and a
scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for
them the protection of man; and should they be beautiful, every
thing else is needless for, at least, twenty years of their lives.
(Wollstonecraft 90)
Girls from young ages are taught rules on how understand men with phrases
like, if he hits/teases you, he likes you. We are taught that we must act a
certain way in order to get and keep a man. I was told by a family member

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that if I dont cross my legs when Im sitting, men wouldnt want me because
Im unladylike.
As an American this may seem foreign to us because girls are educated
here.. Now lets look at a 21st century view of feminism from Chimamanda
Adichie, a Nigerian author:
We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves
smaller You should aim to be successful, but not too successful,
otherwise you would threaten the man. If you are the bread
winner in your relationship with a man, you have to pretend that
youre not. Especially in public. Otherwise you will emasculate
him. But what if we question the premise itself? Why should a
womans success be a threat to a man? What if we decide to
simply dispose of that word, and I dont think there is an English
word I dislike more than, emasculation. (13:10)
In the TED talk that Adichie gives, she not once apologizes, unlike
Wollstonecraft. Her tone is not aggressive, but welcoming. Also unlike
Wollstonecraft she is not sarcastic. The message however is the same. These
were written centuries apart yet they are talking about the same things.
Educated, woman now are, but in order to earn the any higher rank
title, women must surpass our male counterparts. Women can have all of the
credentials to be a perfect fit for anything, but will probably have to prove
herself in other ways to be considered for the part. According to the

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Huffington Post, as of 2012 women have been getting paid $0.77 on the
mens dollar since 2007. Why is that? Is it because men see women as fragile
or innocent? If so Wollstonecraft says that is an insult.
Men, indeed, appear to me to act in a very unphilosophical
manner when they try to secure the good conduct of women by
attempting to keep them always in a state of childhood
Children, I grant, should be innocent; but when the epithet is
applied to men or women, it is but a civil term for weakness. (91)
She then goes on to say that, Men and women must be educated, in a great
degree, by the opinions and manners of the society they live in (91). Here in
America we have the same opportunities when it comes to education.
Women have the abilities to earn PhDs alongside the men, they put in the
same amount or work and dedication to earn recognition, and are still paid
less, or thought of as unequal compared to man. My theory that since
America was built under the religion of Christianity, this is why men dont see
women as their equal. In the book of Geneisis, God creates man and animals
from the ground, and from mans side he creates women. I do not think
women arent equal to man because of the way they were created, but
because of the Fall of Man.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food
and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom,
she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,

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who was with her, and he ate it. (New International Version, Gen.
3.6)
This very crucial part in history, when man and women were equals, he
followed her request and he was banned from the Garden of Eden. From then
on women were the ultimate forms of temptation and were not to be trusted.
If my theory is correct, then I can argue that men are spineless and are
unable to comprehend the meaning of right and wrong, and therefore are not
fit to hold titles such as President, Senator, or Congress person.
Women make up 18% of congress, and out of 100 senators only 20 are
women. This means that when it comes down to passing laws about
womens rights, women are our numbered 1:5. The most bizarre concept that
I have ever heard of, is men being given the right to vote or have a say so on
issues pertaining to women. Texas Representative Jody Laudenberg believes
that when victims of sexual assault become pregnant as a result, they done
need abortions because they can get cleaned out by the rape kit. Women
should not leave their health and personal life choices to men who do not
know what it is like to be a women. My favorite line from A Vindication of the
Rights of Women is
a false system of education, gathered from the books written
on the subject by men who, considering females rather as
women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make

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them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational

mothers (Wollstoncraft 87).
Men are not women and cannot speak on things they have no knowledge on.
The last reason I have as to why there arent as many women in power
positions as men, is because society is just starting to support young girls.
There are commercials, movements, community and nationwide groups, and
many other encouraging support systems that encourages young girls to be
themselves. To think that we give credit to Simone de Beauvoir for bringing
attention to the feminist movement, when it should have been given to the
women of yesteryear like Mary Wollstonecraft. Women maybe emotional or
irrational but men have been known to kill women because they were
turned down. Women are no longer letting standing quietly and being a
pretty face, they are slowly rising to power and when that day comes they
will look back and thank not only Simone de Beauvoir, but Mary
Wollstonecraft too.

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Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda. "We Should All Be Feminists |." YouTube. TEDx, 12 Apr.
2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Bassett, Laura. "Women Still Earned 77 Cents On Men's Dollar In 2012:
Report." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Sept. 2013.
Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
"Bible Gateway Passage: Genesis 3 - New International Version." Bible
Gateway. Biblica Inc. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
<https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis
3&version=NIV>.
Black, Joseph Laurence. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature.
Concise Ed., 2nd ed. Vol. B. Peterborough: Broadview, 2011. 87-102.
Print.
Schnall, Marianne. "What Will It Take to Make a Woman President?: Sheryl
Sandberg, Nancy Pelosi, Olympia Snowe and Others Weigh In." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 2 Dec.
2015.
Seltzer, Sarah. "The 10 Dumbest Things Ever Said About Abortion and
Women's Rights." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 15 July 2013. Web. 2

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Dec. 2015.
"U.S. Senate: Women in the Senate." U.S. Senate: Women in the Senate.
Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.senate.gov/reference/Index/Women.htm>.