Question

But, till men become attentive to the duty of a father, it is vain to expect women to spend that time in their nursery which they, “wise in their generation,” choose to spend at their glass; for this exertion of cunning is only an instinct of nature to enable them to obtain indirectly a little of that power of which they are unjustly denied a share: for, if women are not permitted to enjoy legitimate rights, they will render both men and themselves vicious, to obtain illicit privileges.

–A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,
Mary Wollstonecraft

What is the central idea of this passage?

Women do not have enough time to raise children.
Both men and women need to trust their instincts.
Looking in the mirror harms women’s ability to gain rights.
Giving women rights will help both men and women.

Answer 1

The central idea of this passage is:

D. Giving women rights will help both men and women.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mary Wollstonecraft is considered one of the founders of feminism. In this passage of "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," she defends the idea that women's rights benefit not only women, but men and, consequently, society itself. According to the author, women engage in vanity precisely because they do not have rights. They need to resort to beauty and find devices to "obtain illicit privileges". That would not happen if men and women shared responsibilities and rights. Women would not need to waste their time with vanity. And that valuable time would be better employed, for instance, in obtaining education or helping raise educated children.