Rhetorical Analysis on "Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from Unnatural Distinctions"

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Women have been fighting for gender equality throughout history and to this day some might argue that they still are. Mary Wollstonecraft, author of “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society,” wrote during the time of the French Revolution (1789-1799) and in her essay she argued that virtue is ruined by wealth processed by men which ruined the virtue of women because they were to be dependent on men. Wollstonecraft supports her main claim by using strong visual examples and figurative language to effectively to appeal to pathos, consequently improving the effectiveness of her claims.

In her essay, Wollstonecraft introduces the problem of wealth and virtue later talks about how this affects women. First, Wollstonecraft talks about wealth and virtue and how it prevents one from being morally sound. She establishes that men are the ones that own the wealth and only they can because of the way society worked during those times. Then, arguing that women aren’t virtuous because they are to be dependent on men. She goes on to stating other reasons why women don’t have virtue such as, dependency on men, can’t contribute as much as men who can be statesmen and soldiers, and the focus on beauty to participate in what she calls legal prostitution. Wollstonecraft advises to women to pursue a field of study such as nursing, politics, or business.

Wollstonecraft strongly appeals to pathos throughout her essay. She uses many different examples to strengthen her claims and uses amplified words. For example, she stated, “Still there are some loopholes out of which a man may creep, and dare to act for himself; but for a woman it is a herculean task, because she has difficulties peculiar to her sex to overcome which require almost superhuman powers” (P. 660). She was argue how hard it would be for a woman to do what she desired as to how easy it would be for a man to do as he wanted. In this phrase, notice how she used the words herculean and superhuman powers to describe the amount of effort it would take for women to do as she pleased. She uses phrase similar to these throughout her essay. Another example of this is when she stated, “…which might save many from common prostitution and legal prostitution.” (P. 664). In this statement Wollstonecraft is referring to marrying a man as a type of legal prostitution. For in exchange women would get the man’s wealth.

Wollstonecraft also uses vivid examples to support her claims in her essay in other methods to appeal to pathos. These examples are very detailed making it clear to the audience what she is trying to argue. For example, she stated, “I have then viewed with pleasure a woman nursing her children, and discharging the duties of her station with, perhaps, merely a servant maid to take off her hands the servile part of the household business. I have seen her prepare herself and children, with only the luxury of cleanliness, to receive her husband, who returning weary home in the evening found smiling babes and a clean hearth. My heart has loitered in the midst of the group, and has even throbbed with sympathetic emotion.” (P. 658). She is emphasizing the wealth aspect of the woman by describing the scene of a household with it. Wollstonecraft effectively describe a household with wealth by using details such as luxury and mentioning the servant. This helps to direct the line of thinking of the audience by making the argument clearer.

In conclusion, Wollstonecraft effectively appealed to pathos by using figurative language and vivid examples to support her claims. She shows how difficult it is for woman to virtuous and emphasizes how dependent woman were on men. Wollstonecraft did so by selecting her language and examples carefully to fit in efficient with her claims.