Mary Wollstonecraft’s revolution in manners and the kickback of constructed femininity

Abstract

In my thesis, by using Simone De Beauvoir's concept of ‘the other’ from her book Second Sex, I attempt to solve the issue of how some features of produced femininity, such as submission, caretaking, sentimentality, and so forth, increase women's oppression. I argue that discriminatory practices that are explicitly gendered and imposed on a single gender have been producing negative outcomes, regarding the problem explained. Also, it should be acknowledged that adhering to these practices should not be promoted as necessary to be identified as a woman. I propose to follow the revolution in female manners advocated by Mary Wollstonecraft in A Vindication of the Rights of Women as a plausible and effective answer to ‘the otherness’ of women in society. Here I argue that the main reason for the plausibility is the said revolution’s inclusivity. Since Wollstonecraft argues that the revolution in female manners can be attained only by equal distribution of knowledge of the right kind of virtues and national education to all genders, inclusivity should be a given.