Judith Sargent Murray Essay - 1719 Words

During the pre-revolutionary period, more and more men worked outside the home in workshops, factories or offices. Many women stayed at home and performed domestic labor. The emerging values of nineteenth-century America, which involves the eighteenth-century, increasingly placed great emphasis upon a mans ability to earn enough wages or salary to make his wifes labor unnecessary, but this devaluation of womens labor left women searching for a new understanding of themselves. Judith Sargent Murray, who was among Americas earliest writers of female equality, education, and economic independence, strongly advocated equal opportunities for women. She wrote many essays in order to empower young women in the new republic to stand up against†¦show more content†¦And they can be equals if they believe they are. The basis of this essay is that knowledge is the solution to possessing value. In On the Equality of the Sexes, she believes women to be slandered in society, and they are only known to be inferior to men simply because men have an unjust difference in education. She declares that an educated woman would only increase her domestic skills and rational thoughts. In Observations on Female Abilities, she amasses an enormous amount of concrete detail to prove the general points she made earlier. Murray was clearly optimistic about the prospects of American women in 1798, imagining that a new era of gender equality was dawning in this younger world. Yet again, as in her other essays on womens issues, Murray argues that women are rational beings, capable of exhibiting the traits associated with Republican citizenship. Once again she maintains that educated women make the most virtuous mothers and wives. At the same time, she continues to insist that women can be brave, strong, and heroic as well as modest, religious, and chaste. In her essays, Murray proves how to reach equality by identifying the importance of education among women. To Murray, women have an intellect and the needle and the kitchen does not provide enough stimulation to occupy a womans intelligence. Womens apparentShow MoreRelatedAnne Bradstreet And Judith Sargent Murray1653 Words   |  7 Pagesof the household and of the children. However, writers such as Anne Bradstreet and Judith Sargent Murray wanted to emphasize the importance of education for women. The two texts by these authors that will be discussed are the poem, â€Å"The Prologue† by Anne Bradstreet and the essay, â€Å"Desultory Thoughts upon the Utility of Encouraging a Degree of Self-Contemplacency, especially in Female Bosoms,† By Judith Sargent Murray. A theme seen prominently throughout both texts is fairer treatment of women throughRead MoreJudith Sargent Murray s On The Equality Of The Sexes848 Words   |  4 PagesJudith Sargent Murray’s On the Equ ality of the Sexes reveals the struggles women had in the 17th-18th centuries when it came to equal education opportunities. Women were expected to become people of domestication while men had many opportunities to expand their minds and be ambitious, and be leaders. Women were expected to focus on taking care of their family, not to have minds of their own. They wanted change. Her audience: Since Murray wrote for magazines, her audience was the readers of thoseRead MoreJudith Sargent Murray s On The Equality Of The Sexes 1408 Words   |  6 PagesAnalytical Essay: Judith Sargent Murray’s ‘On the Equality of the Sexes’ Judith Sargent Murray was a revolutionary woman- born into a socially prominent and wealthy family during the start of the American Revolution, Murray was recognized for her intellect at a young age and given an education along with her brother. Later in life, she had her written works widely published and read during a time when women’s voices were seen as fundamentally inferior to those of men. In one of her most influentialRead MoreAnalysis Of Judith Sargent Murray s On The Equality Of The Sexes1373 Words   |  6 Pagessigns of being rational thinkers, and therefore, were not even afforded the opportunity to prove themselves. In the late eighteenth century, Judith Sargent Murray argued that women had, in fact, proven themselves to perform creatively and intellectually with the opportunities that were given to them—opportunities that were often overlooked. Most notably, Murray argues that women partake in almost destructive social behavior as an outlet for creativi ty—an idea which is played on in the nineteenth centuryRead MoreThe Critical Evaluation Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstanding of the topic? Did you change your perspective after completing the essay? Even though I knew women struggled for equality for years, it gave me a better understanding hearing it from a woman’s point of view. It really struck home to hear Murray relate her thoughts back to the bible since so many people try to use it as a way to prove why men are superior to women. 3. What difficulties did you encounter during the writing or editing phases of the assignment? Some of the difficultiesRead MoreThe Influence Of Past American Women Writers2466 Words   |  10 PagesThe Influence of Past American Women Writers Amy Tan, Julia Ward Howe, and Judith Sargent Murray are some of the noble women whom have helped shape the lives of their fellow gender with the talents of their writing. Much of their writing became increasingly influential years after it was written. Their literature allows today’s modern readers to reflect on the humanity and the treatment of women, understand history’s past, and use it as an example to continue spreading the vision of the equalityRead MoreEssay about Equality Is the Center of Society703 Words   |  3 PagesIn addition to Mrs. Adams other women were also advocating equality for women. Judith Sargent Murray published On the Equality of the Sexes and stated the very reasonable case for equal education and capabilities of women compared to men. She also points out that if women were allowed to be more intellectual they would be better companions for their husbands, allowing both sexes to be happier in their marriages (Murray). African Americans were another group who were obviously not treated equallyRead MoreThe United States During The American Revolution Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pageswomen’s role in life should be. That individual was none other than Judith Sargent Murray. One of the most argumentative feminist writer and advocate of her time, Judith was truly an anomaly within an anomaly. Born into wealth and prestige in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Judith was surrounded by success and financial security through her uncles, father and brothers. Unfortunately, it is because of this economic status that Judith was immediately introduced to the realities and the limitations presentedRead MoreBiography of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington: The First First Lady845 Words   |  4 PagesMartha Washington: A Life. Marthawashington.us, 2013. Web. 17 Nov 2013. http://marthawashington.us/exhibits/show/martha-washington--a-life/. *Murray, Judith Sargent. Bonnie Hurd Smith, ed.From Gloucester to Philadelphia in 1790: Observations, Anecdotes, and Thoughts from the 18th-Century Letters of Judith Sargent Murray. Cambridge, Mass.: Judith Sargent Murray Society and Curious Traveller Press, 1998. Sklar, Kathryn Kish. Washington, Martha Custis. World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 14 NovRead MoreHow Do the Ideas Espoused by Mary Wollstonecraft and Other Feminist Writers of Her Time Relate to Women Today?1302 Words   |  6 Pageswere marriage, children and domestic life. Judith Sargent Murray termed a lack of education â€Å"mis-education† nearly a decade before Mary Wollstonecraft published her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Judith Sargent Murray drafted an essay titled, â€Å"On the Equality of the Sexes.† In her treatise, she argues that education, not nature, renders men and women unequal (â€Å"History of feminism†). In Murrays â€Å"The Story of Margaretta†, Murray shares views common to Wollstonecraft, specifically