Mary Wollstonecraft, Margaret Fuller, and Gloria Steinem

Before reading these essays, I had not put much thought into the rights of women, other than briefly covering it in history class. I realized that the rights women possess today are often taken for granted. These authors are just three examples of people I should thank for their efforts toward bringing equality between men and women in society.

Margaret Wollstonecraft's essay was at times very difficult to read. Her writing style may have been very fitting for women reading it in the 1700's, but not quite as fitting for women reading it today. I can appreciate the sophisticated vocabulary used by Wollstonecraft in her essay, but it required me to look up the meaning of many of the words. Having to reread many of the lines and constantly look up words disrupted the flow of the essay and made it less enjoyable to read. It took me a while to piece things together, but in the end I was finally able to decipher many of the valid points she made in her essay. I would agree that women are more than just caretakers who desire to wear fancy clothes and look pretty. Just like men, women deserve the right to receive an education. At the time this essay was written, women were not allowed to receive the same level of education as men. As a high school student with dreams of continuing my education and becoming a doctor, I am very appreciative that modern women now have the right to an education just like men.

It was very interesting how different it was to read Margaret Fuller's essay, even though it was written only 50 years after Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women. While Wollstonecraft's style of writing was very sophisticated and full of rich vocabulary, Fuller's essay was much easier to understand. I liked how Fuller explained that it is possible for women to have a balance between becoming educated and continuing to fulfill their domestic duties. One of the lines that particularly stood out to me is when she says, "Women can express publicly the fullness of thought and emotion, without losing any of the peculiar beauty of her sex." This point she makes is very true and I feel that the balance of ideas coming from men and women today is what makes our society great. I also agree with Fuller's statement that all humans have a need for expansion and without this we will perish.  The desire for freedom is shared by everyone. Today's society is a great example of men and women both having the freedoms they desire while still living in harmony.

Of these three essays, the piece written by Gloria Steinem was the most enjoyable to read. I appreciated the humor and lighthearted feeling that Steinem brought to a topic that is often very serious. I can honestly say that this is the first time I thought about how different the world would be if men were the ones who menstruated. For women, the topic of menstruation is not often discussed in public. The only time you may hear a women discussing her menstrual period is in soft whispers while talking to one of her girlfriends. According to Steinem, keeping it a secret would not be an option for men. I was surprised when she brought up the idea that men would turn it into something positive and a topic to boast about. I never realized how tough women really are because we don't make a big deal out of having our periods. I think that the point that Steinem was trying to make in this essay was that women still lack many of the rights that men enjoy. She chose to bring light to the topic of women's rights in a humorous way instead of the serious tone that many authors choose.

I think that all three essays illuminate great points about the rights of women. Women still have a long way to go in terms of being equal to men, but I am very thankful for the advances we have made in the last 400 years. With so many women out there trying to make a difference, I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the rights of women.