Mrs. Feke vs. Wollstonecraft

Maria Edgeworth’s character Mrs. Freke differs from Mary Wollstonecraft in several ways. I agree with Kara--in addressing this question it is important to realize that Mrs. Freke is not an extension of Edgeworth herself, merely a character comparable to Wollstonecraft through her views on women’s rights and education.

Throughout the piece, Mrs. Freke argues and believes she is “a champion for the Rights of Women” (544), which in my opinion is a bunch of bull. I see Mrs. Feke almost exhibiting some qualities of sexism (for lack of a better word) in the summation of her remarks to Belinda. She calls her a “distressed damsel” (542), doesn’t “suffer” her to speak, interrupts her, attempts to gain her compliance through flattery, derogation (about her reading), then threats, and even comments on the “delicacy of their sex” (544). Mrs. Feke, although arguably a “militant feminist” may also be possibly viewed as an extension of the current (c.1801) Male views concerning Women’s ‘place’ in society, while Belinda represents a growing, free-thinking woman--representative of this particular rights movement.

Mary Wollstonecraft is a more serious protofeminist as she proposes revolution and argues for equally-caste women’s rights in “A Vindication for the Rights of Women.” She does this by appealing to her readers with logic and reason, though not through a quasi-drama (like Edgeworth). She argues for rights for “half of the human race” (which may also refer to slavery) and does not push her ‘womanly boundaries’ by really only advocating for women’s education reform, and not much else.