Exam Flashcards
Topics
Sexuality quotes
Half the human race as inferior
“If to respect himself Kimoe had to consider half the human race as inferior to him, how then did women manage to respect themselves–how did they consider men inferior? And how did all that affect their sex lives?” (D - 18)
Freedom quotes (by their constitution slaves, no freedom, must ever languish like exotics / responsible to one another, that responsibility freedom)
“…if women be, by their very constitution, slaves, and not allowed to breath the sharp invigorating air of freedom, they must ever languish like exotics, and be ever reckoned beautiful flaws of nature.” (V - 24)
“It’s your nature to be Tirin, and my nature to be Shevek, and our common nature to be Odonians, responsible to one another. And that responsibility is our freedom.” (D - 40)
argue: They echo each other distantly, in that responsibility creates freedom. But Wollstonecraft likens responsibility of oneself to freedom. The Odonians liken responsibility of others to freedom.
Knowledge quotes
of a more desultory kind/knowledge which i’m not to share
“…knowledge which women of strong minds attain is…of a more desultory kind.” (V - 18)
“‘I’m to acquire knowledge which I’m not to share.’” (D - 89)
argue: Knowledge acquired by intelligent women in an oppressive society is superficial and unimportant. What knowledge Shevek is expected to learn in his equal society is by contrast so important that he must defy his society’s rules of sharing. The importance of knowledge scales with its power. The power of the individual in society scales with their ability to acquire more powerful knowledge
Knowledge quotes (same in nature and degree/original intellectual work)
“…knowledge of the two sexes should be the same in nature, if not in degree…” (V - 26)
“‘Do you find any woman capable of original intellectual work, Dr Shevek?’”
argue: The hierarchical structure on Urras is conducive to the sort of inequality of learning that is evident in Wollstonecraft’s milieu.
Gender quotes (long before nature makes any difference)
“Girls and boys would play harmlessly together, if the distinction of sex was not inculcated long before nature makes any difference.” (V - 29)
Duties quotes
must be the same
“…‘human’ duties, I sturdily maintain, must be the same.” (V - 33)
Freedom quotes (degraded by propensity to enjoy the present moment, despise freedom / all walls, two faced)
“Women…are degraded by the same propensity to enjoy the present moment, and at last despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to maintain.” (V - 34)
“Like all walls it was ambiguous, two-faced. What was inside it and what was outside it depended upon which side of it you were on.” (D - 5)
argue: Freedom is relative. What might create freedom or senses of freedom (enjoying the moment) depends largely on which side of a duality you are on. i.e. the wall, or gender
Knowledge quotes (and Freedom) an early association of ideas, neglect understandings, all attention to their persons/women don't have to learn
“Is it surprising, when we consider what a determinate effect an early association of ideas has on the character, that they neglect their understandings, and turn all their attention to their persons?” (V - 45)
“‘I think men mostly have to learn to be anarchists. Women don’t have to learn.’” (D - 47)
argue: The Odonian practice of learning to prevent ‘egoizing’ in everyday speech and thought from childhood (an ‘early association of ideas’) leads to their form of freedom. Wollstonecraft argues that because women are taught to overidentify with their persons, they lose freedom and neglect their understandings. Overidentifying with the self creates inequality in various forms. Shevek believes that in his society where people aren’t taught such things, women are instead naturally freer.
Labor quotes (slavery of own indolence/organized like soldiers)
Loch- “They are living in a form of slavery to their own indolence. … To be happy the people must be productive.” (CTW - 90)
“Masses of laborers, crowded into the factory, are organized like soldiers.” (CM - 10)
Lack of labor or indolence is compared to the land-owner to slavery. But how they may be organized into labor under the bourgeoisie is equally slavery.
Progress quotes
in advancing this estate/new classes, new oppressions
Sellar- “The effects of such arrangements in advancing this estate in wealth, civilization, comfort, industry, virtue and happiness are palpable.” (CTW - 91)
“It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones.” (CM - 3)
“Progress” as defined by certain people in a power structure is detrimental to other, newly created weaker classes.
Capital quotes
more money more land
“We don’t want big houses or anything grand / We just want more money to buy up more land.” (CTW - 93)
Form &Ideology quotes
Readers/Abolition
The “Readers” in reading out the history of violence enacted on women in trying to evict them from the Highlands in the Clearances. Distance of history/violence. (CTW - 95-6)
“…in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.” (CM - 18)
CTW shows the violence of history and the grittiness of history, but maintains distance. CM keeps with rhetoric, reducing realities to easy phrases to argue.
Religion quotes
God and sheep
The Minister’s speech to his “sheep” that their eviction and punishment is at the hands of God. (CTW - 97)
Capital quotes
law of capital, burning lady/not personal but social power
Old Man- “But the law of capital had to be obeyed.” Burning of the old lady in her house. Atrocities under capital gain. (CTW - 99)
“Capital is therefore not a personal but a social power.” (CM - 19)
Capital for the benefit of a few leads to disregarding of humanity.
Progress quotes
we might bid adieu/abolition undoubtedly aimed at
Sellar- “If Lord and Lady Stafford had not put it into my power to quell this banditti, we may have bid adieu to all improvement.” (CTW - 100)
The abolition of bourgeois individuality, freedom and independence is undoubtedly aimed at. (CM - 20)
What is bestowed by the Staffords is the horror and manipulation that CM seeks to eradicate, as is aimed at.
