Mary Wollstonecraft and Bathsua Makin

I really enjoyed Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women. I never got a chance ot read it all but still, of what I did read, was an amazing feat for a woman in her time. The fact alone that she was responding to the negitive views about women from major literary and political figures was very risque. I was so impressed with her. I've read also her novella Mary and also Maria, or the Wrongs of Women. these are also very interesting as they, especially Mary are somewhat autobiographical. The Mary in the novel is also from an broken household of abuse and she is a woman who is constantly wandering and trying to find a place for herself in the world. She was a very remarkable woman and then married to such a remarkable author. Then, to have Mary shelley who also turned out to be a distingued literary figure. That would be one amaing family tree.

I was also very impressed with Bathsua Makin. Her essay was very clear and easy to read. I loved the way she undrecuts her opinions on men. She says that they are good, but then makes referance to a reson that they are not. It was very clever and amusing to read. I can't imagine what the men at that time were thinking of this. It deals with the education of women in a very clever way. Her advertising for her school at the end was also a little surprising. I wasn't really expecting that. I don't think that it ruins this piece in anyway it was jsut another way of making her school known by using the resources that she had. Smart Lady. Whether it worked or not..? who knows.