Maria or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft Part 2

"Married when scarcely able to distinguish the nature of the engagement, I yet submitted to the rigid laws which enslave women, and obeyed the man whom I could no longer love. Whether the duties of the state are reciprocal, I mean not to discuss; but I can prove repeated infidelities which I overlooked or pardoned. Witnesses are not wanting to establish these facts. I at present maintain the child of a maid servant, sworn to him, and born after our marriage. I am ready to allow, that education and circumstances lead men to think and act with less delicacy, than the preservation of order in society demands from women; but surely I may without assumption declare, that, though I could excuse the birth, I could not the desertion of this unfortunate babe:—and, while I despised the man, it was not easy to venerate the husband. With proper restrictions however, I revere the institution which fraternizes the world. I exclaim against the laws which throw the whole weight of the yoke on the weaker shoulders, and force women, when they claim protector-ship as mothers, to sign a contract, which renders them dependent on the caprice of the tyrant, whom choice or necessity has appointed to reign over them. Various are the cases, in which a woman ought to separate herself from her husband; and mine, I may be allowed emphatically to insist, comes under the description of the most aggravated."

In this excerpt of Mary Wollstonecraft's "Maria or the Wrongs of Woman", she discusses her feelings towards patriarchal society blatantly in order to get her point across of how ridiculous it is that women are expected to be a certain way. In the beginning, she explains that even though she did not want a certain life for herself, she adhered to the societal standards and did what was expected of her. This seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout not only her novel, but every female work during this time (during present day as well). While she states this, Wollstonecraft explains how society ignores these facts to picture a more perfect society even though women and men are not equal. Society turns women into servants from the moment they marry, until they die. Whether that be in motherhood or just being a maiden. Wollstonecraft says women sign their life away, to a tyrant and a child. Once again, a reoccurring theme in novels, for example The Awakening. In conclusion, Mary Wollstonecraft is infuriated by the times and society. She wants more for women, and she states this by saying "a woman ought to separate herself from her husband; and mine, I may be allowed emphatically to insist, comes under the description of the most aggravated.". 

Maria or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft Part 1

"The retreating shadows of former sorrows rushed back in a gloomy train, and seemed to be pictured on the walls of her prison, magnified by the state of mind in which they were viewed - Still she mourned for her child, lamented she was a daughter, and anticipated the aggravated ills of her life that her sex rendered almost inevitable, even while dreading she was no more. To think that she was blotted out of existence was agony, when the imagination had been long employed to expand her faculties; yet to suppose her turned adrift on an unknown sea, was scarcely less afflicting."

In this excerpt of Mary Wollstonecraft's "Maria or the Wrongs of Woman", the author is stating how she feels as a woman through her use of imagery and metaphor. Wollstonecraft uses many words such as; prison, mourned, aggravated ills, dreading, agony, and scarcely. These words are used to create both a dark tone and a frightening image in the readers mind. "The walls of her prison", is actually the characters situation in society. Society has caused the character to be afraid for how her daughter will be treated as she ages, which are the aggravated ills due to her sex. Imagination has bottled her out of existence, stating how society demonizes imagination and causes for an informal exile, even though imagination is truly a good thing. In conclusion, Wollstonecraft uses a form of imagery, and description/metaphor to state how it feels to be a woman.

Fantomina by Eliza Haywood

"Supper being over, which was intermixed with a vast deal of amorous Conversation, he began to explain himself more than he had done; and both by his Words and Behavior let her know, he would not be denied that Happiness the Freedoms she allow'd had made him hope. - But that he little regarded, or if he had, would have been far from obliging him to desist;"

In this full excerpt of Fantomina, Haywood uses capitalization and punctuation to emphasize emotion. Within the first sentence, Haywood uses the word "Conversation" in the middle of the sentence yet, it is capitalized. This is to show emphasis on what Fantomina was feeling as in saying, not just conversation but conversation with a capital C. The same goes for "Words", "Behavior", "Happiness", and "Freedoms", just as some examples. Haywood does the same when she uses a dash in between her words and sentences. This is to show a pause of thought and an emphasis on anxiety that Fantomina is feeling as this is happening to her. By Haywood using both punctuation and capitalization, she shows the reader what Fantomina is feeling, but also allows the reader to get inside of the mind of Fantomina.

Epistle 2. To a Lady "Of the Characters of Women" by Alexander Pope

"How many pictures of one nymph we view,
All how unlike each other, all how true!
Arcadia's countess, here, in ermined pride.
Is, there, Pastora by a fountain side.
Here Fannia, leering on her own good man,
And there, a naked Leda with a swan.
Let then the fair one beautifully cry,
In Magdalen's loose hair and lifted eye,
Or dressed in smiles of sweet Cecilia shine,
With simpering angels, palms, and harps divine;
Whether the charmer sinner it, or saint it,
If folly grow romantic, I must paint it."

In Pope's "Of the Characters of Women", he explains once again his misogynistic ideal through literary reference, using this to convey what he believes women to be. In this excerpt, Pope explains his distasteful opinion on how a women seduces so therefore, a man is entitled to say what he wants and do as he pleases. He convey's this through his use of comparing women to several different stories. First, Arcadia's countess, which is included in a prose pastoral romance poem by Sir Phillip Sidney. Pope then goes on to compare women to Pastora and Fannia. He includes Leda, who was raped by Zeus in the form of a swan. He goes on to include Magdalen, and concludes with Cecilia. All of this women were to be involved with men, in some type of way. When Pope compares all women to these few in a mocking manner, he is not only blaming these women for their fate, but he is mocking women as a whole. Pope concludes this excerpt with saying that he must call it as he sees it, which is being so matter-of-fact, meaning he is not to be blamed for his opinion. In conclusion, Pope uses literary referencing to justify his misogyny, again.

Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

"For when the Fair in all their pride expire,
To their first elements their souls retire:
The sprites of fiery termagants in flame
Mount up, and take a Salamander's name.
Soft yielding minds to water glide away,
And sip, with Nymphs, their elemental tea.
The graver prude sinks downward to a Gnome,
In search of mischief still on earth to roam.
The light coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair,
And sport and flutter in the fields of air.
'Know further yet; whoever fair and chaste
Rejects mankind, is some Sylph embraced
For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease
Assume what sexes and what shapes they please.
What guards the purity of melting maids,
In courtly balls, and midnight masquerades,
Safe from the treacherous friend, the daring spark,
The glance by day, the whisper in the dark,
When kind occasion prompts their warm desires,
When music softens, and when dancing fires?
'Tis but their Sylph, the wise Celestials know,
Though Honor is the word with men below."

In "Rape of the Lock", the author conveys his misogynistic ideals through sarcasm and literature based referencing. Through this excerpt of the poem, one could see there are several references to a work of literature called "Le Conte de Gabalis", as well as that this passage is loaded with sarcasm. In this novel that Pope is referencing, it explains that there are four elements inhabited by spirits; Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. Each of these spirits has a different meaning. The Gnomes represent mischief, and the Sylphs are the best-conditioned creatures imaginable. Pope explains this all in a very condescending way in the beginning of the poem. With this knowledge, the reader can now see what Pope is comparing women to. Essentially, Pope is saying that women shape-shift to what they see fit for themselves, in other words; they are liars. In the beginning of this excerpt, women are bored of pride and what-not so they retire that, and bring on a different form of themselves; a Salamander. To mention, a salamander is a type of reptile which is a form of calling a person sneaky. The next form they take is a Nymph, which is socially known as one who is promiscuous. Once women get tired of this, they then go on to a Gnome, to get themselves into mischief. It is then when a Sylph has to repair the damage these Gnomes have caused. Pope then goes on to explain that whoever "does not follow the crowd", as well as those who are modest, are those who come from Sylphs aka the best-conditioned creatures. Through this referencing and use of dramatic language, one could see the sarcasm Pope expresses as well. In conclusion, Pope uses his knowledge of literature against the woman he is dedicating this poem to, and referencing the novel to get his point across while using a form of sarcasm.