Central Ideas in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman — Quiz
Question 13 • Language Arts 12
Read the excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Consider, I address you as a legislator, whether, when men contend for their freedom, and to be allowed to judge for themselves respecting their own happiness, it be not inconsistent and unjust to subjugate women, even though you firmly believe that you are acting in the manner best calculated to promote their happiness? Who made man the exclusive judge, if woman partake with him of the gift of reason? How does this idea enhance Wollstonecraft’s argument?
Answer
A
by emphasizing the unhappiness of women servants
B
by criticizing men as intellectually inferior to women
C
by pointing out the legal injustice in the exclusion of women
D
by praising women serving in leadership roles
Explanation
Wollstonecraft addresses men as legislators and questions why they claim the right to decide what is best for women while demanding freedom for themselves. Because women share the gift of reason, excluding them from judging their own happiness is inconsistent and unjust. This strengthens her argument by pointing out the legal injustice of women’s exclusion, not by claiming women are intellectually superior to men.
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