Sunday, February 22, 2009

Judith Sargen Murray 1751-1820

Judith Sargent Murray believed that women were intellectually inferior to men because they are not given the same advantages that men are given. She does not believe that women are inferior to me because they do not hold the same intelligence capacity that men hold. She argued that women are disadvantaged from the start because they are conditioned to be housewives and nothing more. When boys reach a certain age, they are given opportunities in science, while girls are taken away and taught how to maintain the house. She argues that because of this inequality, women are conditioned to things such as fashion, gossip, and fiction novels (as opposed to science and mathematic books). Murray's main argument is that if women were given the same opportunities as men were being given, women could become equal to a man's intelligence. If women were allowed to make decisions that men make, they would be choosing their partners instead of being chosen. Murray points out that men fear women receiving an education because it will effect their duties as a housewife. She believes that the chores of a housewife do not exercise any intelligent function of the brain and that there would be plenty of time for women to hold their duties as a housewife while receiving an education. She also brings in religion into her argument. She believes that God created men and women equally and that they have the same souls. A woman's soul is not different than a man's soul. God created us equally and that is how we shall remain.

-Zinaida Ariyev

2 comments:

  1. The passage by Judith Bargen Murray opens up many conflicts that have been going on for many years and still does all around the globe. In different countries, religions and cultures. She is a clever woman and this is so because her parents permitted her an education along with her brother. She feels strongly that women were brought up in a different way then men and how it wasn’t right. Men were put into classes that opened up their minds to bigger and better things, while little girls were brought up to only care about the home and wifely duties. Since women didn’t have an option they lived their lives as housewives that didn’t do anything that was significant as education. Zaniada brings up a good point that Judith Murray talks about, religion. Men and women were created equal which is entirely true. She expresses her feelings about both sexes having the same core. I love how she explains that girls were given fictional books while boys were given science books. This was a real example of sexism. It is distressing to say but this has been a constant battle for women then. It is as well a constant battle now. Just because you aren’t the female in this predicament it certainly doesn’t mean that another female is. Where ever and who ever she may be.

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  2. Judith Sargen Murray had the strength and courage to write about such a conflicting subject as womens' inequalities, especially during the 1700's, when such subjects were totally taboo and would cause an uproar. However, she is lucky to have parents that allowed to have an education. Therefore, she can understand what the true advantages are. If you don't have it, it's harder to appreciate what you are missing.




    She ties in the fact that men and women are truly created equal even in the eyes of God.
    Her comment about the different books that each sex was given to read in school emphasizes the inequality to a large degree. It shows how not only did they want the women to have jobs, but the men did not want the women to even be intelligent in any manner. The fictional books that they read could enable them to cook, clean and do other housework.
    Even though this inequality still exists in many parts of the world as well as many cultures, there seems to be a greater appreciation for women getting an education and working. It has become more and more necessary for women to work and bring in a second income in order to help with the families finances as well as buy the luxuries that Americans would like to have as the next generation becomes accustomed to a better way of life.
    Eva Rosengarten

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