Central Ideas in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Question 25 • AZ-English Language Arts 12 A
Read the excerpt from Woman in the Nineteenth Century by Margaret Fuller.Yet, then and only then will mankind be ripe for this, when inward and outward freedom for Woman as much as for Man shall be acknowledged as a right, not yielded as a concession. As the friend of the [enslaved man] assumes that one man cannot by right hold another in bondage, so should the friend of Woman assume that Man cannot by right lay even well-meant restrictions on Woman. If the [enslaved man] be a soul, if the woman
Answer
b
by describing the strength of women’s friendships
b
by making reference to a biblical lesson
b
by insisting that everyone with a soul deserves rights
b
by explaining the history of slavery
Explanation
Fuller compares the struggle for women’s freedom with the struggle against slavery. She argues that just as one person cannot rightfully enslave another, men cannot rightfully restrict women’s freedom. The unfinished phrase “if the enslaved man be a soul, if the woman…” points to the shared humanity and rights of both groups, so the best choice is “by insisting that everyone with a soul deserves rights.”
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