The Education of Women Daniel Defoe

• What are your opinions of the essay? Is there a part in particular you really like or dislike? Why?
• There seems to be one main reason he describes as to why men may oppose women becoming educated. What is it?
• Defoe writes, "Not that I am for exalting the female government in the least..." but uses many words and phrases that seem to contradict his statement. What are some examples?
• His arguments to support women being educated could be used to support women's rights in general. Why do you think he focused on education?

The Education of Women

Daniel Defoe

Main Idea and Persuasion

Values Expressed

Questions

• Feminism- states how women should have the same opportunities as men and why
• Devotion to God (he was a Dissenter/nonconformist)- alludes to God and God's will as reasoning
• The benefits of education- "I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women."
• This shows his main idea directly

• The main idea is that women lack education, and it would benefit both men and women if they had more opportunities
• I thought this essay was very persuasive. It was a idea I agreed with, but he strengthened my opinion on something I take for granted. He used strong word choices, rhetorical questions, allusions, and a variety of different essay elements.
• I really enjoyed the essay because it was informative, interesting, and thought provoking.

THANK YOU!

Sources:

Defoe, Daniel. “The Education of Women.”

Bartleby.com, Bartleby.com, Inc., 2015, www.bartleby.com/27/13.html.

Mutter, Reginald P.C. “Daniel Defoe.”

EncyclopædiaBritannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Aug. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Daniel-Defoe.

Irony

Literary Devices

• This in general is a work that I believe supports women's rights, however the reasons he uses are sometimes distorted (for conversation, to benefit men, music and dancing in particular)

• Simile- "The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond; and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear. And ’tis manifest, that as the rational soul distinguishes us from brutes; so education carries on the distinction, and makes some less brutish than others."
• Allusions- "...part of God's Creation, the glory of Her Maker..."
• Diction- "Her society is the emblem of sublimer enjoyments, her person is angelic, and her conversation heavenly. She is all softness and sweetness, peace, love, wit, and delight."

Essay Type

Time Period Background

Structure of Essay

• Speculative- use of rhetorical questions to prove point, questioning long standing beliefs of genders
• Argumentative- arguing for the education of women and gives reasons why they should be educated
• Expository- aspects of stating facts, like Francis Bacon, in nonchalant way (start of essay)
• Narrative- recalls a story a woman told him "I remember a passage..."
• Mainly a speculative and argumentative essay, but there are examples of all throughout

• The main influence on his work was the Enlightenment- a period of learning and questioning of almost all aspects of society
• He had written political works criticizing those in power (Queen Anne among others) so he was used to sharing bold opinions apologetically

• Opening paragraph- general reason for writing the essay and his opinion of the issue (like a thesis)
• Closing paragraph- summarizes opinion again and his hope of change in the future
• Little paragraphs or sections of text throughout that each have specific reasoning or point but all connect together
• Indented set of if then statements (conditional statements) to show without education women will be worse off in all circumstances

Author's Background

My Experience and Essay Choice

• This essay was written by Daniel Defoe in 1719
• Defoe went to an academy at Newington Green where he received an extensive and quality education.
• English novelist, pamphleteer, and journalist, and even a merchant (although not a great one)
• In 1684, he married Mary Tuffley who he describes as loyal, capable, and devoted. They had eight children and were married for 47 years before Defoe died.

• I chose this essay because I wanted something different but still pertinent.
• I am a woman, and I like to learn about how views and rights of women have developed into what they are today.
• I support the idea of equality of all people, so this essay was in line with my own beliefs.