“A Vindication of the Rights of Women”- Mary Wollstonecraft

When the vindication was written, women were not allowed to get an education, vote nor work for a living. They were seeing as inferior beings that had to commit their life’s to their family and homes. One passage that I want to point out refers to literature and society. One page 134, Wollstonecraft says,” Rousseau to Dr.Gregory have contributed to render women more artificial, weak characters, than they would otherwise have been…”. This type of literature reflects society’s view on women. Women were not viewed as individuals but as objects that needed a husband for survival. Women were forced to focus on religion, moral conduct and interaction around men with an overall focus on marriage. This also reflects how women were not given an option on how to life their lives. As a result, a woman’s primary focus was more on beauty rather than education. Overall, this vindication is more like a message towards women. Men have subjected women to “this type of slavery” and want to keep it that way. Women, on the other hand, are unaware of their status in society and in order to earn that, they must do the contrary of what they are expected to do. Wollstonecraft argues that women should strengthen their minds by getting educated and “resigning their arbitrary power of beauty”. Years later after the” vindication of women” is written, women are able to vote, work, get an education and be independent. Regardless of women’s accomplishments, society still views women as sensitive individuals and the weaker sex. My question here is- Has gender roles and expectations really changed?