Mary Astell And Anne Finch Essay

Anne Finch and Mary Astell: A Reaction

Throughout the 17th century society revolved around a gender hierarchy that both men and women must follow. Many at the time believed that this hierarchy was instilled by God and nature, as seen in their religious books like the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer; both of which were to be taken very seriously. It was the norm for women to believe that their sole purpose in life was to maintain their social worth by being obedient to their male superiors such as fathers and husbands. However, many women began to question these gender roles. As tensions continued to rise, women would often express their ideas through poetry or prose. Two female poets in particular are Anne Finch and Mary Astell; both

Anne Finch is considered to be a very outspoken woman in her lifetime and a well-known feminist today. In The Introduction, Finch uses language to educate the reader on the impacts of a woman living in a male-dominant society. From the beginning of the poem, we are introduced to the notion that her poem will never hold a place in society simply because she is a woman. She states this as a fact when she says: “True judges might condemn their want of wit/And all might say they’re by a woman writ” (Finch 239. 7-8). Here, the use of the word “wit” is a negative connotation to the belief that all women lack intelligence and that they can try to find and prove their intelligence but will always fail. This line not only gives the reader insight into the life of a woman during the 17th century, but it also helps to explain the message behind this poem in particular. That being said, she continues to use language almost sarcastically when she mocks the roles imposed on her by men: “They tell us we mistake our sex and way; /Good breeding, fashion, dancing, dressing, play /Are the accomplishments we should desire;