Dr. Batya Weinbaum
English 102
January 25th 2015
On the Equality of the Sexes
Gender inequality has been a timely issue in the US for centuries and has left a great number of articles, essays, and novels. Among such, On the Equality of the Sexes is quite successful in telling the readers about the role of a woman in the society. The work itself is the evidence of how intelligent females can be. Murray effectively conveys the difficult position of a woman in the end of the 18th- beginning of the 19th century. Moreover, the author draws a parallel between genders considering many features and abilities. This paper is aimed to show how the use of numerous examples together with logical sequence and tone makes Murray’s essay quite informational and convincing about the justice of gender equality instead of female inferiority.
From the title of the essay, any educated person would grasp a sarcastic mood of the author. Being written in 1790, the essay cannot describe gender equality in the society as it is widely known that women in the US hardly got any rights till the 20th century. Therefore, Murray had to focus her attention on the issues that existed in the society that was modern to her. She offered the evidences that the equality of the sexes was a timely issue deserving particular attention. Hence, the title is chosen quite precisely to intrigue the readers and dispose them to meet the disputable questions. The author discusses the mental abilities of both sexes in the first
Anthony 2
part and refers to the religious aspects and relations between men and women in the second part.
Murray used many questions that make the readers approach to the issue critically. Therefore, the comprehension of the people, who belonged to different societies or historical periods, could differ. The primary question asks if “the nature is … partial in her distributions” and mostly about the “mental superiority” of species (Murray 133). Mainly these two questions logically complement the idea presented in the title and search for answers in the further abstracts. Some more questions are also interesting and can be either rhetorical or make people feel more interested in the essay. Usage of the questions lets one not just grasp the information superficially, but analyze it and perceive more deeply.
Murray considers the differences between genders based on the mind peculiarities. Even though she supports the idea that “minds are not alike”, the belief that the females’ intellect is inferior to the males’ one is completely rejected (Murray 133). In order to prove her ideas, Murray focused attention on a comparison of various brain abilities separately. She analyzed such features as imagination, reasoning, memory, and judgment. The women’s mind is considered as very creative, the imagination is inventive and used in almost all spheres of life. In fact, social rules and limitations spoil the females imagination and waste their possibilities that could be directed appropriately. The necessity to be devoted solely to “domestic duties” like “needle and kitchen” wastes the creative and intelligent features of women (Murray 135). In reality, a woman can easily combine many things. Anthony 3
Murray believes that men and women are created as equal. Mainly “contrary modes of education” adopted in the society with many other norms make males and females different (Murray 134). While boys are taught to become ambitious, girls should focus on domestic work. One more important argument is that God has created men and women with the same opportunities and treated both of them respectfully. Even though they have differences, they are physiological rather than the mental ones. Murray points out that “the same breath of God animates” men and women, invigorates, and enlivens them (Murray 135). Therefore, different approaches and examples broaden the intended audience of the author.
The author gives examples that represent the “each day’s experience” to prove her ideas (Murray 134). The inventive imagination of females is supported by the facts that they often behave playfully. At the same time, they are extremely interested and successful in fashion and writing exciting books. They even stay powerful in inventing scandals, which is also a “formidable” ability of their “fertile brains” (Murray 134). The evidences that education is very important for a woman are also quite persuasive for each average person. For women, “consciousness of inferiority … embitters enjoyment” (Murray 135). Therefore, education is crucial for females as it makes them judge more wisely and form a happier family ensuring welfare of the society.
Men and women are equal in spiritual and mental spheres. Although Murray does not reject that their minds are different and house duties were always considered to be the female ones, she emphasizes that many of the restrictions existing in the society waste a great number of the female creative and intelligent potential that can bring many positive changes to the society.
Anthony 4
Therefore, struggle or the equality of education and social position is a good way to make families happier and society more productive in many spheres.
Works Cited
Murray, Judith Sargent. “On the Equality of the Sexes.” The Massachusetts Magazine Apr. 1790: 132-38. Printing
Murray, Judith Sargent. “On the Equality of the Sexes.” Penn Libraries. Ed. Mary
Ockerbloom. n.d. Web. 11 May 2012.
Cited: Murray, Judith Sargent. “On the Equality of the Sexes.” The Massachusetts Magazine Apr. 1790: 132-38. Printing Murray, Judith Sargent. “On the Equality of the Sexes.” Penn Libraries. Ed. Mary Ockerbloom. n.d. Web. 11 May 2012.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Judith Sargent Murray’s On the Equality of the Sexes was written to give women the education they deserved and needed. Murray felt that women were capable of doing more than housework; she believed they could do the same as men if not to be better than them. To prove that women and men were equal and should be getting the same education she questions, “May not the intellectual powers be ranged under these four heads- imagination, reason, memory, and judgment?” As the Enlighten women she gave evidence to everything she said or wrote. She proved that men and women had the same capability to imagine. She wrote “but as proofs of a creative faculty, of a lively imagination”, Murray’s evidence that women had an imagination was gossiping. If women didn’t have an imagination how would they be able to come up with such interesting rumors and gossip? Murray goes on to say, “Are we deficient in reason? We can only reason from what we know, and if an opportunity of acquiring knowledge hath been denied us, the inferiority of our sex cannot fairly be deduced from thence.” She is saying if they teach women physics, psychology, and other subjects besides the basics they can prove they have the same power of reasoning as men. She then proves that women also have the power of memory, because women memorize stories and share them with others. Murray wrote, “Female would become discreet, their judgment would be…
- 1676 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
In the years 1890-1925, the role of women in American society had changed politically, economically, and socially. Women were no longer considered the servant of men. She was considered an important part of society, but wasn’t able to lead in areas dominated by men. In this time period this is when things started to change for the women.…
- 491 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
7. In 1784, Judith Sargent Murray published an essay defending women’s rights to education, a defense set in terms very different from those used by most men.…
- 4630 Words
- 16 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Benjamin Franklin and Fanny Fern’s writings exemplified, and even sparked gender role controversy for over many years during the mid-1800s and the mid-1900s. Franklin’s writings primarily showed up in daily newspapers and appealed more to a male audience, rather than a wider female audience that Fern had obtained in her writings as a social critic. In the readings “Tom Pax’s Conjugal Soliloquy,” Fanny Fern and “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker,” by Benjamin Franklin, they both demonstrate opposite gender roles, illustrate situations in which women are not being paid attention to, and their audiences appeal to the gender role opposite to the…
- 618 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In the Victorian era, men were more socially accepted because of their gender. They had more social power because society gave more trust, responsibility, and rank to men. The choices women made were based on the men they lived around. Males were the dependents of the woman’s future, whether it was as family, or workers. Yet this was the perspective of everyone, it was not always fair, nor true.…
- 631 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
I postulate that advocates for women’s education during the new republic period believed that if their ideas were wrapped in concepts about how women’s education would benefit men and society, these ideas would be better received and create a greater impact within the new impressionable nation. Republican motherhood offered a platform for activists that would be accepted by society and allowed women to become more educated and involved in the public sphere. Many writers, especially Wollstonecraft and Murray posed very progressive concepts of full equality that may not have been accepted within society. Wollstonecraft stated, “Let woman share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of a man.” However, the powerful statement for women’s equality is followed by, “Meek wives are, in general, foolish mothers.”…
- 1571 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
It is difficult to imagine that several centuries ago, the plight of women in society was very different. In 18th century America, they had very limited rights of their own. The situation has somehow been reflective of what…
- 1005 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Women in past western society have been seen as the unintelligent, powerless, and insignificant gender. Though something began to change between 1790 and 1860. Economically Women were now able to work, have money, and help their families; Domestically, there was the great admiration for women in the home now instead of just expecting their place to be there.…
- 622 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Contains a well-developed thesis that examines the changing ideals of American womanhood between the American Revolution (1770’s) and the Civil War and assesses the extent to which these ideals influenced the lives of women.…
- 470 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Double standards are clearly represented in the novel by Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband, that talks about the position of women in the society. In this play, women are attributed to several things, for instance, an idea that women stand for the irrational, women have a wonderful natural feeling concerning a number of things. They are able to discover everything except the most obvious things in society. In addition to these, the play as well indicates that the life of a man is more important and valuable as compared to a woman’s life. Wilde’s An Ideal Husband highlights the role of women in society in the 19th century in England.…
- 1002 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Victorian Britain was in almost all ways a period of oppression and exploration of women. Women in Britain during the Victorian age were seen largely as second class citizens in a so called “man’s worlds.” Women lacked the right to vote and the own property and inherit money once they were married, and where seen as the property of their husband to do almost anything that they so pleased. Though there are many reasons for why we can see that Victorian Britain was a time of exploration for women, in this essay the main points that will be focused on will be, women in the workplace, the role of women in marriage and the view that society had on women and their role within society. After looking at these points one will clearly see that Victorian Britain was a period of oppression and exploration of women.…
- 651 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
With this idea in mind, it is known that women are generally seen as inferior when compared to men. Additionally, women were not granted the same rights as men until the 1920’s when the 19th Amendment was established. This, however, has caused a difference of how women are viewed and treated in society as opposed to men. An example of this can be seen in the NY Times article titled, “Equal Pay for Equal Play?” written by Carl Stoffers dated January 9, 2017. In the article, Stoffers writes, “It accused the U.S. Soccer Federation of wage discrimination for paying women less than men, despite equal work-and more success-from the women” (Stoffers 16). In this quote, Stoffers reveals how women are payed less than men even when considering the equal amount of work that was completed by both genders. This idea plays an imperative role to display how women are constantly being viewed as a minority group and seen as inferior to men, despite their greater success. Furthermore, even in today’s society women are still viewed as subordinate with the belief that men are able to complete a job more successfully than women. While the article discusses the inequality faced by women in today’s society, the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn reveals how this inequality was frequent in the past, thus revealing that there has been no significant improvement. For instance, in the novel Twain writes, “LADIES AND CHILDREN NOT ADMITTED” (Twain 152). In this point of the novel, the duke denies the presence of women in the Royal Nonesuch. Twain uses this in order to represent the rift that was existent at the time between the two genders. This scene acts to prove how women were not perceived as strong as men and were viewed as incapable of handling what a man could. In addition, this quote displays how women were constantly isolated from…
- 1551 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Mary Wollstonecraft – “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” – believed that women weren’t naturally inferior to men, but lacked education.…
- 358 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Women in the 1700 hundreds were suppressed and seen as inferior by most men. Some, however, saw them as equals and a handful of philosophers argued on their behalf of their rights as citizens and human beings. Philosopher and Women’s rights activist Mary Wollstonecraft was fed up with being looked down upon by men. She argued that men oppressed women by not allowing then to be “educated in the same pursuits as men.”(Wollstonecraft). In simpler terms, Wollstonecraft is saying that women are in fact inferior to men, but only because they aren’t allowed the say education as men.…
- 460 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Inequality between man and woman can be of various kinds. As far as economic aspects are considered, biases in life expectancy, education, jurisdiction, and professional life are among the top suspects that might deserve closer investigation. However, in very general, it seems neccessary to clarify that inequality in itself does not neccessarily need to be something to be considered as negative. As a blunt example, differences in heigth and bodily strength between the two sexes are certainly not of discriminatory nature, but simply a biological fact. Thus, when attempting…
- 5150 Words
- 21 Pages
Satisfactory Essays