The Romantic period was marked by turmoil and profound unrest in England. The morality of the slave trade was called into question, the Industrial Revolution deepened the rift between the working class and the aristocracy, and the French Revolution was in the ascendant in France, attracting the attention of those in England who felt oppressed. In the midst of these various revolutions and uprisings, women also began to question their place in society, aligning themselves with slaves and the implications that came with being considered property. Two women, Mary Wollstonecraft and Anna Letitia Barbauld, began writing to proclaim their incredibly opposing views on the topic of women's rights. While Wollstonecraft advocated for women's education in A Vindication for the Rights of Woman, Barbauld used her poem “The Rights of Woman” to outline the consequences of ambition. In A Vindication for the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft emphasizes the need for women's education to better unite men and women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This idea is made clear from the beginning of A Vindication for the Rights of Woman when Wollstonecraft states in her dedication, "if [woman] not prepared by education to become man's companion, she will check the progress of knowledge and of virtue,” arguing that both the impediment to understanding and moral indecency are caused by the poor education received by women (211). He also highlights the fact that women are not adequately cultivated to be man's companions, but that an education would allow the man and woman to connect better The highlights of a woman's education do little in regards to preparing her to share a life together as partners, but focus on being a submissive showpiece. . Wollstonecraft describes the characteristics that girls are taught to adopt: Women are told from childhood, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, rightly called cunning, sweetness of character, outward obedience and scrupulous attention to a childish kind of decorum, will obtain for them the protection of man; and if they were beautiful, everything else is useless, at least for twenty years of their lives (217). The emphasis on female education, passed down from an equally ignorant mother, includes superficial traits that transform girls into docile women who do not question their place in society. Furthermore, beauty is held in high regard, which means that beautiful girls do not need to acquire any knowledge, but rather focus on maintaining their beauty, as this will bring them the protection and affection of a husband. Wollstonecraft goes on to condemn the childhood education that women receive. and how that futile education leads to infidelity in marriage. He compares the effectiveness of the skills women learn as the seasons pass, indicating that these are not life skills, but a form of flattery that quickly becomes ineffective. The diminishing effectiveness of charms is outlined when Wollstonecraft writes: “the woman who has been taught only to please will soon find that her charms are slanting rays of sunshine, and that they cannot have much effect on her husband's heart when they come seen every day, when the summer has come and gone,” indicating that the inability to be anything but affectionate will soon be ineffective in maintaining the relationship between husband and wife (224). Once the charm no longer afflicts the husband, women possess no other skills or intellect to maintain ithusband's loyalty, and the husband may become unfaithful. A couple's inability to communicate on a more intimate level ultimately leads to the husband's infidelity and the wife's unwavering obedience, further weakening the marriage. According to Wollstonecraft, the way to combat this phenomenon is to educate women. He gives the advice: “Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and blind obedience will end; but, since power always seeks blind obedience, tyrants and sensualists are right when they try to keep women in the dark, for the former want only slaves, and the latter a toy,” while at the same time advocating the education of women and addressing the misogyny present in society (Wollstonecraft 221). In this passage, Wollstonecraft shifts attention away from women, the patriarchal structure that leads to oppression, and how that structure is corrupted. The use of the words tyrant and sensualist are extremely powerful accusations because they indicate moral indecency in a society that holds virtue in such high regard. Barbauld uses her poem “The Rights of Woman” as a response to Wollstonecraft, arguing that if women were to gain more rights, they would reign over men, resulting in a reversal of roles, rather than an achievement of equality. He takes an extreme position, essentially arguing that men and women cannot achieve equality in society because men's rights would diminish if women gained more freedoms. This ideology implies that rights are limited in quantity and that granting more rights to one group of people would result in fewer rights for another. This belief can be seen when Barbauld writes, "Go, bid the proud man resign his vaunted rule, / And kiss the golden scepter of thy kingdom" indicating that men should give up their liberties so that women have equal status (7 -8). This passage also addresses how Barbauld believes Wollstonecraft sees men, namely as tyrannical rulers who dominate over women rather than as people she wishes to define as equals. Furthermore, Barbauld argues that women who wish to become educated and their men's counterparts are simply following a whim of fancy, and that the aspiration for equality will soon pass. She indicated that women's nature is to be "Submissive and submissive, you will soon find / Your coldness will soften and your pride will give way", indicating that the desire for equality is a fleeting emotion rooted in pride (Barbauld 27-28) . . The use of the words submit and submissive also implies that the negative emotions felt by women like Wollstonecraft are irrational and can be overcome by the comfort and belief of other women who disagree with the women's rights movement. Furthermore, Barbauld accuses women of wanting more freedom to be cold, which is not a quality women would want to possess since men sought tender, loving women to become wives. While Wollstonecraft used images of home in her works, Barbauld describes violence and war throughout her poetry to discourage readers from taking part in a potential women's rights movement. The third stanza of “The Rights of Woman” is particularly clear regarding violence when Barbauld writes: “Go, gird yourself with grace; gather your supply / Of bright artillery watching from afar; / Softly tones the thundering roar of your cannon, / Blushes and fears your war magazine,” depicting a battle scene in which women, covered in armor, use weapons to claim their rights from men (9-13). Align the movement for better education with war, especially at that time, will be.