For phase three I looked further at Mrs. W. T. Mallesons "Reply" to Miss Garrett. Though her writing we can see the themes and norms of the time. I will also look at her manor of writing, and whether it would have been acceptable at the time.
Mrs. Malleson disagreed with Miss. Garrett letter but she doesn't just come out and say it she gives in depth details about why she doesn't agree. She then tells what she believes must be done. Malleson sets up her arguments by first bringing in a subject or idea, for example religion on the very first page. "In our days it is considered bad taste to allude to religion out of the pulpit or the nursery" (1) She then gives the wide spread idea," The cry which has arisen against these Acts—perhaps somewhat confused and incoherent at present—owes its first existence, its growing strength, and its certain victory, to that deep and comprehensive faith which contains the germs of all human progress, which says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.""(2)
What Miss Garrett in her letter says “From this point of view the first question is not, as Miss Garrett suggests, "Is legislation necessary?" (3), and then she discredits that idea. “But, "Is such legislation right?" And the answer to this question does not depend upon the virulence or widespread physical suffering which the disease in question causes.”(3). This theme of information, the oppositions, as in Miss Garretts idea and then hers, is repeated throughout the reply. This system makes for an informative and relatively easily understandable read. This response was in the "PALL MALL GAZETTE" which would have been read by numerous people so tom make her argument in a clear form would help others understand it.
Malleson brings up numerous topics that she believes should be discussed. In brief these ideas are as fallows. The idea that this disease is not only the fault of women but the fault of men as well, and they should be held responsible for it is them that are spreading it to their wives and children. This goes with the fact that this act was only passed to help keep military personnel from being infected. Malleson discusses the idea the divorce should be allowed for women because, if they were adulterous then men could divorce them but men are going out sleeping with prostitutes and then bring diseases into the house and there is nothing a wife can do about it. Malleson believes that men are the cause but they are also the only people that can stop this. She believes young boys need to be educated in understanding that this is morally and spiritually wrong, and then maybe this law wouldn’t be needed. But class was more important than being a morally good person, everything’s an outside view, body was more important than spirit. Women were cleansed but the way it was done, being forced by the law and degraded, did not heal their soul. She believes the law is corrupt, women need “curing without degrading” (7). She discusses the need of prostitution which she believes is bogus, and who women need to be educated, so that they don’t have to turn to this life style.
Morality and Gender issues seems to me after writing the above paragraph to be the main points of the text.
This leads me into thinking about what I want to write my paper about. i was thinking of doing something along the lines of how women view women, but now I think I want to get more into the gender side of things. It’s been the focus of almost all of my short essays probably because it’s the most interesting to me. I can take Malleson, Fuller, Millett, and then Justina’s Reply or Anonymousness Reply, and look at these texts in relation to gender. How these women see gender, how they are treated, how they believe in the text they should be treated and then maybe how gender can be erased. How gender is seen traditionally and what women want their gender to really be. ( Malleson will help me bring in morality as well as a good background on how women were treated. Fuller could be used to show women’s need to be educated as well as women’s relationship to men and god. Millett with help with traditions of the time as well as giving an answer what can be changed and I would need to look further into Justina and Anonymous if figure out their use. )
2 comments:
Good use of quotes throughout your post. Your end ideas and questions were very interesting, especially the thought of how women view other women and how they see gender. You may be able to apply Killingsworth's tropes here with the idea of gender as a trope and how it was used by women in their writings.
Lauryn,
I like how you gave a lot of evidence in the first paragraph. It's very organized and seems to follow a good analytical pattern. I also found it interesting how you're thinking about writing on how women view other women and not how men view women. It sounds like a good start.
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