Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.
Mary WollstonecraftRead
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, strenght state; usefulness are sacrificed to beauty; and the flaunting leaves, after having pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the societal expectations placed on women, suggesting that these pressures hinder their intellectual and personal development.
Mary Wollstonecraft's quote reflects her belief that the overly rich and superficial standards imposed on women lead to a neglect of their true potential. She compares women to flowers in fertile soil, highlighting how the emphasis on beauty can detract from their strength and usefulness, ultimately stunting their growth and maturity in society. This serves as a call to recognize the importance of nurturing women's minds and capabilities rather than merely valuing their outward appearances.
Themes
WomenBeautyIntellectSocietyGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
During a women's rights seminar, you might reference this quote to discuss the challenges women face in achieving recognition for their intellect.
More from Mary Wollstonecraft
All quotes →Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will quickly become good wives; - that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers.
Mary WollstonecraftRead
But what a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of an hypothesis!
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The divine right of husbands, like the divine right of kings, may, it is hoped, in this enlightened age, be contested without danger.
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Women are degraded by the propensity to enjoy the present moment, and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain.
Mary WollstonecraftRead
Perhaps the seeds of false-refinement, immorality, and vanity, have ever been shed by the great. Weak, artificial beings, raised above the common wants and defections of their race, in a premature and unnatural manner, undermine the very foundation of virtue, and spread corruption through the whole mass of society!
Mary WollstonecraftRead
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