M A RY WOLLSTONECRAFT
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Wollstonecraft was born in London, England on April 27th, 1759. Mary was the second of a family of seven children. Mary’s father inherited a share of her grandfather’s legacy, however, her father did not manage it wisely, and as a result, began the financial and social decline for the family. Mary’s home was never consistent, neither in her childhood or her adulthood. The only child to receive adequate education was her brother, Edward. He became a lawyer, and was the only one in her family to receive the other shares of his grandfather’s legacy. Mary’s only options available to her was to become a lady’s companion, a schoolteacher, or a governess. This is the story of our first rationalist feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft.
B I O. C O N T I N U E D Due to her status, her financial circumstances, and her sex, Mary did not have an adequate education, unlike her brother. Mary took educating herself into her own hands, and began reading books by famous poets, play-writers, philosophers, and other scholars. Additionally, she established several influential connections through-out her life to further her education and her literary career. Mary authored several published works such as A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, an essay published in 1792, a classic of rationalist feminism that is considered the earliest and most important treatise advocating equality for women. This essay is one of her most important contributions, to this day, it is used as a foundation of modern women’s rights movements in the western world. Mary continued her efforts for equality of education and inspired women to follow her footsteps and go against traditional gender roles.
CONTRIBUTIONS Founded a Girl’s School in London (1784) Thoughts on the Education of Daughters (1787) The Novel, Mary, a Fiction (1788) The Analytical Review (1788) A Vindication of Rights of Men (1790) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves� Mary Wollstonecraft
THE MONUMENT This monument is dedicated to Mary Wollstonecraft, recognized for being the first female activist of women’s rights in the western world. She was the voice of thousands of women who were too frightened to go against tradition and societal norms. She planted the seed of the fight for women’s rights that inspired others and gave them courage to fight. As the seed grew into a beautiful tree and began to branch out in different directions, so did the inspired activists. Women fight for equal treatment, equal pay, equal rights, equal representation, and so on and so forth. Her courage became infectious and as a result, more and more women began to follow her footsteps, such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone. The tree symbolizes the growth of women’s suffrage in society, to not only recognize who planted this metaphorical seed, but as well as the contributions of others that led to today’s society. The tree is an oak tree, chosen because of its symbolism of power and courage. An oak tree can live for hundreds of years, and is recognized for its age, strength, and wisdom. Hanging from the tree, will be a box filled with oak tree seeds, meant to inspire others to be the first to plant the seed, the first to speak up, like Mary Wollstonecraft. Beside the oak tree, are two beautiful wooden benches and an area to store books. Mary’s only form of education was through reading literature from her local library. It seemed only fitting to include books; anybody can sit on the bench and educate themselves, like Mary herself.
LO C AT I O N S WA S H I N G TO N, D. C . One of the locations for this monument will be in the capital of the United States, Washington, D. C. The capital is known to house the White House, where the President of the United States stays. It is the home of multiple other monuments and museums that resemble, symbolize, or retell important parts of history of the United States. It is a place for activists, like Wollstonecraft, to inspire and advocate change in society and government. A place perfect for this monument, to inspire others of the continuation for the fight for women’s rights.
G E O RG E M A S O N F E N W I C K L I B R A RY The second location of this monument will be right by the entrance of the Fenwick Library on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. Mary Wollstonecraft’s main priority was the equality of education programs for men and women. George Mason is known for diversity, and they strive for academic success. Mary was also a founder of an all girls school, therefore, it only seems fitting for this monument to be at an academic institution by her favorite place, the library. Here, students can read their textbooks, do assignments, and treat it as a new study area.
REFERENCES A Brief History of the Anti-Rape Movement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.resourcesharingproject.org/brief-history-anti-rape-movement Mary Wollstonecraft. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/mary_wollstonecraft Tomaselli, S. (2018). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Mary Wollstonecraft. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/#Aca