Prof. Garcia | ENG 1121 - OL78 | Fall 2020

“Micro-Activity # 6: Responding to Wollstonecraft”

Mary Wollstonecraft wrote “Dedicatory Letter” to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman because she wants to prove that women deserve the same civil rights, respect and knowledge as men are able to get. She wants the recipient of the letter to comprehend and give the right of education and equality for women.based on the letter, Wollstonecraft is part of faminist discourse community because she is fighting for equality for women. Recipient is outside of this discourse community, hence Wollstone is trying to persuade and give her point across why women deserve the same opportunities and equality as men.   

Quote 1: “If children are to be brought up to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot; and the love of mankind, from which an orderly sequence of virtues arises, can be produced only by attending to the moral and civil interest of mankind; but the upbringing and situation of woman at present shuts her out from such investigations.” (Wollstonecraft, pg 2)

Identify the writing strategy you see Wollstonecraft using: Logos rhetorical strategy 

Explain why you find this useful, persuasive, or effective in some other way: Wollstonecraft uses reasoning strategy, or logos, to make a logical connection that if men want their children to grow up strong, brave, educated, and independent, then they should let their wives have those characteristics first in order to teach them to their children. 

Quote 2:  “Why would God lead us from love of ourselves to the sublime emotions aroused by the discovery of his wisdom and goodness, if these feelings weren’t launched so as to improve our nature (of which they are a part)2 and enable us to enjoy a more godlike portion of happiness?” (Wollstonecraft , pg 9)

Identify the writing strategy you see Wollstonecraft using: Pathos rhetorical writing strategy 

Explain why you find this useful, persuasive, or effective in some other way: Author is using a pathos writing strategy to attach her readers emotionally to the letter. She is including God, and explaining that God would want us to improve ourselves for the sake of their own happiness. 

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1 Comment

  1. Ruth Garcia

    Good work. I would add that in the second quote she is not only using emotions but also invoking the values of her audience and what they see as a greater authority to show she is right. It’s like citing an expert or a law to justify her point.

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