Final answer:
Rhetorical questions are used by authors like Mary Wollstonecraft to emphasize their message and provoke thought, often without expecting an answer. Wollstonecraft's use of this technique in 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' helps challenge social norms and advocate for women's education. The technique serves to underline her argument for gender equality and critique traditional views on women's roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rhetorical question is a literary device that authors such as Mary Wollstonecraft use to engage readers, make a point, or provoke thought without the expectation of a direct answer. These questions often serve to emphasize a message or to invoke an emotional response from the audience. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft utilizes this technique to challenge social norms and advocate for equal education for women, thereby addressing and undermining the conventional expectations of her time.
For example, when Wollstonecraft rhetorically asks why women are seen as inferior, she is not seeking an actual response but rather highlighting the injustice of education disparity. This kind of rhetorical questioning helps to set the tone and can function as a persuasive strategy in her arguments for gender equality. Furthermore, the employment of rhetorical questions is indicative of the writer's intent to confront societal norms and provoke the reader to consider the legitimacy of these traditional views.