Mary Wollstonecraft is writing this letter because she thinks women and men’s education should be equal. She wants women can go to public education from the recipient of the letter. After reading this letter, I would identify the DC that Wollstonecraft is part of women’s role in society, and she tries to change the constitution and gains rights for women in education. The recipient appears to be outside of it because he is a man, and he does not know how other women think about the inequality between men and women.
Quote 1: “So it is my affection for the whole human race that •makes my pen speed along to support what I believe to be the cause of virtue, and •leads me to long to see woman’s place in the world enable her to advance the progress of the glorious principles that give a substance to morality, rather than holding them back.” (Wollstonecraft 1)
She uses personification in this quotation. I think this could be useful in my writing. She states her points straight forward and tries to make an argument that women should educate the same way as men. She tries to make Talleyrand consider her opinion because she said: “…support what I believe to be the cause of virtue.” And this morality is important to women as well.
Quote 2: “Fighting for the rights of women, my main argument is built on this simple principle: If woman isn’t fitted by education to become man’s companion, she will stop the progress of knowledge, because truth must be common to all; if it isn’t it won’t be able to influence how people in general behave. And how can woman be expected to cooperate if she doesn’t know why she ought to be virtuous? if freedom doesn’t strengthen her reason until she understands her •duty and sees how it is connected with her real •good? 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 2)
Wollstonecraft is using rhetorical questions in this paragraph. I find this could be persuasive in writing. She keeps leading Talleyrand to think women’s education is necessary. She also keeps using “if” in the sentences to introduce her thoughts, which could make him think about women’s position.
What I would add about your first quote is that she is using the values of the DC she is addressing to appeal to them. The importance of the whole human race rather than the few elite was exactly what the French Revolution argued for–of course women were not included but that was Wollstonecraft’s point. This is kind of like Douglass–she is point out the hypocrisy. The second quote also plays on the values held by the listener–she is saying that educating women will help them meet their goal