Blog Post #4

I just finished the readings that were assigned for Thanksgiving break, and by far my favorite piece was Margaret Fuller's from Woman in the Nineteenth Century. I usually don't find myself loving many authors from this time period, but I felt I could relate a lot to this specific text, and her voice in the essay wasn't difficult to follow. In her biography, I found it interesting that from a very young age, she found the differences in teachings for girls and boys ridiculous. "A dedicated student, Fuller disliked the finishing school approach of her headmistress, who believed in teaching girls the social niceties." It was also interesting that even though she excelled in teaching as an adult, she soon left the career, because she realized that she had fulfilled all of her duties, except to herself. It takes strength and bravery to leave a career with a steady income for writing, which wasn't a sure thing. She had enough confidence in her literary skills and drive that she was able to pursue her passion.

I had so many points underlined which I wanted to talk about in class, but one of my favorite lines is from page 960. "The boy wants no woman, but only a girl to play ball with him, and mark his pocket handkerchief." In this line, Margaret expresses how men don't want a woman with a mind of her own, thoughts, opinions, and beliefs, because then they are harder to control. Men want a girl, someone they can manipulate and use as a plaything for their own amusement, as well as a sexual object. In their minds, a woman is only good as a loving, obedient wife. The poem by Ben Jonson, earlier on that same page, shows men's attitudes towards women that she talked about in that line. 

"I meant the day-star should not brighter ride,

Nor shed like influence from its lucent seat:

I meant she should be courteous, facile, sweet,

Free from that solemn vice of greatness, pride;

I meant each softest virtue there should meet,

Fit in that softer bosom to abide.

Only a learned and manly soul,

I purposed her, that should with even powers,

The rock, the spindle, and the shears control

Of destiny, and spin her own free hours."

This passage is saying that a woman who is proud is unwanted; a man wants a woman to be "free from that solemn vice of greatness, pride". He describes the "ideal woman" as "courteous, facile, sweet". Jonson goes on to say that women who wish to choose their own fate and live their life the way they want to must be manly, because making a decision means you are being independent, which is a masculine attribute. Men cannot control women who are independent. 

The link below is to a news article from last May, about the outrage from people all over the country over Fox News guest's sermon. Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson said, "I think one of the greatest mistakes America made was to allow women the opportunity to vote." Among this statement, many others were made regarding women in political power and their inability to control their emotions in order to make a logical decision. He also believes men should have the right to hit their wives. I would recommend reading the article, as sickening as it is, and watching the video at the bottom of the page. This is a rather recent article, and it proves that there are still an abundance of men in the world who believe that women are meant to be controlled by men, and are unequal, therefore undeserving of the rights men have.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/