Margaret Fuller, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, 1844
“Woman in The Nineteenth Century” by Margaret Fuller was amongst the most important documents about feminism in the 19th century. The author primarily discusses America’s state of marriage in the 1800s. In her book. Margaret called for equity in marriage and made radical claims about femininity and masculinity. The book literally represented the voices of women who lived in the United States during the nineteenth century. The author’s wisdom makes others literally consider her as ugly thus making her victim of her own knowledge. The main argument of the author in the book is that intellectual fulfillment could not be achieved by women unless they were free to develop in their minds without fearing to be labelled “masculine.
Fuller made use of many practices and writings about the world all over the world. This, therefore, led to her developing strong dedication to transcendentalism. This makes her express many transcendentalist ideas in the book. The ideas expressed are solemnly based on advocating for women’s rights in the country by ensuring that they are treated equally as men and especially not viewed as the subordinates in the marriages (Kearns & Francis, 124). Fuller suggests that equality in America is hindered because of inheriting depravity from Europe. She personifies the problem with the way people thought in the 19th century by pointing out that many people thought of women as unequal to men.
Margaret close examined the reasons why women had it hard in the nineteenth century. Women were denied rights that
She made a proposition that “inward and outward freedom for woman as for man shall be acknowledged as aright, not yielded as a concession.” This uncompromising proposition was however not readily accepted by the readers of his work. This clearly reflected the way people viewed women in society. Women had no authority in marriages as men put down restrictions and controlled the happenings and the way women conducted their businesses. She substantiates her argument and state that the friends of women should assume that a man cannot lay restrictions on a woman as they are not superior.
Fuller argues that gender differences are meant to indicate different duties but in the same sphere. Gender differences should thus not be used as a basis for the attack and violation of the rights of women in society. She clarifies her argument by stating that men and women were made for each other and that they have proved to posse’s equal capacity in the human duties ordinary range. She supports her argument by even going further to explain that if at all men are superior to women in any manner as viewed by people in the society then, there should exist different courses in schools that are meant for boys and that of girls.
As Fuller continues to examine men and women in America, she especially looks at the issue of marriage. She raises her concern that many people in America view men as the head of every marriage and women as the heart of a house. She goes further to suggest that many problems with the law in the United States result from the assumption made by people that women are inferior to men and they can only fit the class of children (marriages (Kearns & Francis, 126). From these findings, she recommends that marriage should not be used as a basis for women critics. She argues that if at all men are superior to women in the marriages why then should it be that men cannot come up with a family on their own but they depend on women for this to be successful.
Margaret close examined the reasons why women had it hard in the nineteenth century. Women were denied rights that would have made them feel part of the community and enable them to triumph in their daily lives. Some of these limitations made women adapt to the living conditions in society and even believe that they were inferior to men. As a result, women at that time would not be able to participate in voting processes and also couldn’t own property as only men were allowed to meet this obligation. This being the way thing s were operated in the nineteenth century makes it evident that men were the head and superiors than women. They even posed authority that enabled them to restricts the women’s behaviours in society. This all made women gender appear as inferior. Women’s prosperity would not b achieved as this played a major role in hindering the efforts of some of the women who wanted to push for equality.
Fuller decided to put women in the society in context to slaves and wrote this book with the aim of explaining how bad the situation was for women in America. She argued that women in the 19th century seem to have been free than slaves but they were subject to very many restrictions. These restrictions were however arguably owned by men according to Fuller. She was able to clearly portray the image of what happened in the society thus raising alarm for the need for equality and fair treatment of women in society. She was able to use the current events at that time to deliver her information in the book as, during the time that she wrote the book, slavery and abolition were the trending topics. The Civil War was almost starting and many white Americans were already starting to question the molarity of slavery. In the book, fuller drew a parallel between patriarchy and slavery. This enabled her to show that quite a number of women in the society were enslaved as actual slaves.
Fuller became an outspoken activist of women’s rights from her efforts of ensuring that women acquired her desired degree of respect in the society and that they were not only allowed to take part in the restricted activities but also have equal chances as compare to men. In the book, Fuller criticizes gender hierarchies and relationships (Kolodny, Annette, 3). This sent the message to the readers of her work that she had looked at the society closely but the happenings did not please her. This shows how important social reform was important to her as her main was to reform society and come up with an evolved America that had equal rights and opportunities for both men and women. Fuller critically outlines the relationship that men should have with women in society so as to ensure equal rights for both parties so as to ensure mutual benefits.
She gives the example of idolatry in the book to represent the relationship that existed between men and women in society (Fuller,42). By this example, she meant people who find themselves getting lost in one another’s physical beauty. Their thoughts are that they love one another but in the real sense, they are only lusting after one another. She suggests that the two, in this case, make every sacrifice for each other but in the long run the marriage has nothing to fall back on as the relationship was formed primarily on the basis of looks. At the end of the example, Fuller says that if this is reflected in the real-world women will start looking at men as effeminate boys and men will start looking at them as the unlovely siren. Women will not respect men anymore because they consider them as pretty boys and men will not respect women anymore. There should thus exist a genuine relationship between men and women in the society where at the end of it all men and women shall benefit mutually and avoid inconveniences that might occur due to egocentrism.
Women in the Nineteenth Century by Margaret Fuller discuss all mankind’s enlightenment applying the idea of individualism. In the context, Fuller suggests that if women are allowed to have greater intellectual and spiritual freedom will advance both women’s and men’s s enlightenment and as a result of all mankind. Fuller expresses transcendentalist ideas in her essay. The main aim of incorporating all these ideas is to ensure that her message is clearly brought out in the text so as to advocate for equal rights among men and women in society. It can be determined that the lives of women in the nineteenth century in America were very difficult. As an outspoken women’s rights activist, Margaret Fuller wrote about this stuff in a passionate way to try and push for equality in the society.
Works Cited.
Kearns, Francis E. “Margaret Fuller and the Abolition Movement.” Journal of the History of Ideas 25.1 (1964): 120-127.
Kolodny, Annette. “Inventing a Feminist Discourse: Rhetoric and Resistance in Margaret
Fuller, Margaret. Woman in the nineteenth century, and kindred papers relating to the sphere, condition, and duties of a woman. Roberts Brothers, 1893.