What Is The Role Of Women During The Enlightenment

Today in the 21st century, women in most parts of the world are blessed with wonderful opportunities such as being allowed to attend the same schools and pursue the same careers as men. However, these opportunities among others, were not always attainable to women. There were times when women were limited to the roles of wife, mother, and housekeeper. During the Enlightenment, the common individual viewed the roles of men and women separately in the fields of work and education. The common belief was that women were simply meant to keep the household and watch the children, while men were to receive a formal education and provide for the family. Despite society's limited views on the roles of women, during the Enlightenment many ladies took
Wollstonecraft’s grandfather was a successful weaver who left a substantial legacy, but Wollstonecraft’s father wasted his inheritance, and resulted in the family to obtain financial issues (Tomaselli 1). As a result, only one of the seven children in Mary’s family was given a formal education. Wollstonecraft’s brother Edward was educated and became a lawyer, and Mary envied the opportunities her brother was given simply for being a man. This was not the only instance in Wollstonecraft’s childhood where she was subject to the unfair advantages between men and women. Growing up, Mary was often physically abused by her father while attempting to protect her mother from his drunken states (“A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft” 1). Through watching her mother struggle in a toxic relationship, Wollstonecraft became exposed to the ties of marriage early on. Her mother never had enough resources or courage to leave her abusive husband, and stayed with him until she died. Witnessing her mother’s abusive marriage convinced Wollstonecraft that all marriage was restricting and toxic. Wollstonecraft constantly declared she would never marry but remain independent in the fear that she too would be trapped in a virulent marriage. Though not formally educated, Mary was exposed to literature early on, which allowed her to expand her mind. Growing up she spent countless hours reading in her friend’s library. There, she met her lifelong best friend Fanny Blood. Fanny was skilled at several tasks such as drawing and playing the piano. She ultimately inspired Mary to “...take initiative cultivating her mind” (Powell 8). This friendship with Fanny would prove to be valuable later on in Mary’s life. When Mary turned eighteen, she left home in an attempt to escape her family's financial issues and sought out a job of her own. She would have liked to pursue a career that required thought and intelligence, but with female job