Avindication of the rights of women
by mary woolstonecraft
after considering the historic page, and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and i have sighed when obliged to confess, that either nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. i have turned over various books written on the subject of education, and patiently observed the conduct of parents and the management of schools; but what has been the result? —a profound conviction that the neglected education of my fellow–creatures is the grand source of the misery i deplore; and that women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of conferring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion. the conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty; and the flaunting leaves, after having a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity. one cause of this barren blooming i attribute to a false system of education gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers; and the understanding of the sex has been so bubbled by this specious homage, that the civilized women of the present century, with a few exceptions, are only anxious to inspire love, when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition, and by their abilities and virtue exact respect.
read the following excerpt from the passage.
civilized women of the present century, with few exceptions, are only anxious to inspire love; they ought to cherish a nobler ambition and, by their abilities and virtues exact respect.
based on this excerpt, which response best reflects the author's beliefs about women?
a
women are different from men in that they tend to value relationships rather than ambition and achievement.
b
women should prioritize value for their abilities over frivolous characteristics such as desirability or physical attractiveness.
c
the education of women has been detrimental to them and has caused them to doubt their own value.
d
women believe that they are unworthy of a proper education and this belief has been reinforced through the education system and parental training.