Sample Paper -- Unassigned Writer -- Judith Sargent Murray

Judith Sargent Murray

“[T]hough a ‘pleasing form is undoubtedly advantageous,’ a mind is much more important” (782). In 1790 Judith Sargent Murray writes an essay accompanied by a poem that was published in The Massachusetts Magazine. They were together entitled On the Equality of the Sexes. Murray was an advocate for the right of women to have an equal opportunity to an education as men, and to be counted as intellectual equals to the male sex. In On the Equality of the Sexes she outlines many ways in which women are truly not inferior to men in intellectual abilities. Murray also shows, in her writing, similarities between her works and the works of other authors from early America.

Born in 1751 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Murray had parents that gave her every opportunity to excel and to be independent in life. Murray was sent to school along with her brother, so she had the same opportunity as him to succeed. She was encouraged by her parents to be independent by their belief in the Universalist Church which challenged the Calvinistic beliefs of the time. Murray herself was an example of the intellectual equality between the sexes that she writes about, in that she was a professional writer, a feat that few males even accomplished in her time.

The main argumentative body of Murray's texts begins with a definition of “intellectual powers” that aided her in explaining why women are at no natural disadvantage to men. Murray says intellectual powers come in four parts: imagination, reason, memory, and judgment. She states that women definitely have no lack of imagination. Their imagination lets the world of fashion be ever changing. With no imagination fashion would be nonexistent. It is the woman who decides what is hot and what is not. The woman also uses her imagination to a negative effect, in the spreading of rumors. With just a tidbit of over heard information and a woman's imagination, a reputation can be destroyed. Reason, Murray states, comes from the knowledge that we have, and if a woman is denied knowledge, in the form of schooling, she can not be expected to properly reason. If she were allowed schooling a woman would have no disadvantage at reasoning when compared to a man. Memory is the same in all humans. When one grows older their ability to recall information is the same whether male or female. Memory is not dependent on the occurrences in life but rather on the ability to recall what happened. Judgment is another situation in which it is an unfair comparison between male and female, as it was in reason. An education influences one’s judgment, and if an education is not allowed one can not be expected to have adequate judgment skills. Murray makes a comparison between a two year old male and a two year old female asking: do they not have equal judgment abilities? In many cases, at that age, it is the female that is better suited and more mature and able to make a good decision. As the two children grow older, one is lead down the path of knowledge and the other is brought into the kitchen and taught to be a housewife: “The one is taught to aspire and the other is early confined and limited” (785). A comparison between a male and female of different educations to determine which is "superior" is not a fair comparison.

Murray states examples in which the sciences taught in school could be useful in the life of a woman. With the study of astronomy and philosophy she could hope to better see the works of God and gain an understanding of the amazing works He has done on Earth. Also, a woman having her mind on more enlightened subjects would not have time to think of such silly things as rumors, and would not have time to think of how her reputation is standing in society. A schooled woman would also feel as though she is more of an equal to her husband. If a man is of a higher education the woman may feel very inferior and like she does not deserve such a man. This attitude could cause a major flaw in an otherwise happy marriage, but if the man and woman feel as though they are equal, and can share many things in life, a marriage can be expected to be happy and long.

Murray addresses an argument that some may pose in order to justify the need for a man to have a superior mind, and that is that with the extra strength and muscle power of the male, a superior mind must also be needed. But she states that "taking into consideration the accustomed impartiality of nature" if the man gets the brawn, the woman should get the brains (787).

One last example Murray writes of can be found in the bible in the story of Adam and Eve. She states that though Eve was the first to fall to temptation, she did it in order to gain knowledge and truth. Adam was told directly from God not to eat from the forbidden tree, but he did so anyway because a woman told him to eat. Eve fell from the want of knowledge; Adam fell from the want of a woman.

As with other stories, essays, and texts that have been read in class, this essay has a connection to other writings of the times. Though it was 140 years prior Judith Sargent Murray and Anne Bradstreet have a connection. In Bradstreet's poem, "The Prologue," she is writing about the want of woman writers to be counted as equals in a man's world. One main similarity found was in the way both writers try to butter up the male readers. Bradstreet writes, “Men have presidency and still excel, it is but vain unjustly to wage war; Men can do best and women know it well …” (240. She is trying to make an argument for what she believes, that women writers should be respected, but at the same time does not want to lose her male audience, because their opinion was held so highly at the time. Bradstreet still says males are better, so they are likely to hear her opinion instead of instantly dismissing it. In the same way Murray writes, “…O ye arbiters of our fate! We confess that the superiority is indubitably yours; you are by nature formed for our protectors…Shield us then, we beseech you, from external evils…” (788). Here Murray is speaking of brute force superiority rather than brains. She is trying to give some credit to the males saying even if we are intellectual equals, males will still be superior in strength, and women will still need their big strong men to protect them.

In reading Murray and Bradstreet one symbolism that stands out is connected to the greatness associated with intellect. Both writers make references to the glorifying of the smart with crowns and garlands. In Bradstreet's poem she asks not for the crown of the poet but merely for recognition, “Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays” (240). In Murray's essay she says with hard work knowledge will be worn as a crown. “Genius, led by Study, wears the crown” (783).

One interesting difference between Murray and Bradstreet is in the subject of the writing. Murray writes of the equality of males and females on all intellectual levels. Bradstreet writes of how women should begin to be considered as equals in the writing field. This difference could come from the difference in the time. Murray's On the Equality of the Sexes, being written 140 years after Bradstreet's "The Prologue" may show an advance in the thinking of women, and an advance in the fight for full equality between the sexes.

In Benjamin Franklin's “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” he makes an attempt to show the Native Americans in a way that may not always have been known by the general public. Franklin states that in many ways the "savages" are more civil than the English. In the public councils held by the Native Americans there is great order and conduct. One person speaks at a time and interruptions are not allowed or tolerated. This is in great contrast to the English court where “scarce a day passes without some confusion, that makes the speaker hoarse in calling to order” (535). People assumed the Native Americans were savages because they did not do things the way it is done in England and in the colonies. In the same way in Murray's essay she tries to show women in an intellectual way instead of the normal “man is better is than woman” way. People assume that women are naturally unintelligent, but it is not because of nature that they have less intellectual powers; it is because they have been denied schooling. Native Americans are not savages, they merely do thing in different ways, and women are not stupid, they just have not had the same opportunity to go to school and excel intellectually as men.

Judith Sargent Murray was an advocate for the rights of women. She was a strong believer in the ability of women to excel and become great intellectual leaders. Murray makes good arguments and uses very particular examples in her writings. She tells women to stand strong and fight for their rights. This essay was intriguing and well written and should be read by all.

(1585 words, 5 pages, double-spaced)