John Stewart Mill's The Subjection Of Women From On Liberty

Summarization Essay

In the chosen excerpt of The Subjection of Women from On Liberty and Other Essays, John Stewart Mill proposes the idea of how the woman’s role in a marriage with her husband is equivalent to that of a slave with their master by offering multiple ideas.

Mill speaks of how, originally, in marriage, women were often forced to wed their prospective husband, since the power of the disposing the daughter depended upon her father. The Church required an actual agreement from the woman, however, if the father wished her to be married off, it was “practically impossible for the girl to refuse compliance” (Mill 502).

A term for the husband, according to old laws, was ‘lord,’ reinforcing the idea that the husband in the marriage

ruled over the wife (Mill 502). By laws of marriage, a woman is a bond-servant to her husband, as Mill says, “no less so, as far as legal obligations go, than slaves so commonly called” (Mill 503). Mill continues on to say he believes that slaves are not bound by law to be by the master’s side every moment of the day, unlike wives. Slaves have the capability and the privilege of having their own families as well as a home away from the master, but the wife cannot. Mill states that a female slave may deny her master, however, the wife is not allowed to do the same. Even if the wife is to give birth to children of her own flesh and blood, the husband has every legal right over them (Mill 504). If a woman wishes to leave, she cannot bring anything with her, as everything she owns becomes her husband’s whenever they enter into marriage (Mill 505).
A woman is not able to legally separate from her husband without having to have what would be deemed as legitimate reason to separate, such as desertion or extreme acts of cruelty (Mill 505). A wife is synonymous with the definition of a slave, but that of a slave in an extreme case of slavery. Simply as those within mild slavery would be able to “legally compel the master to sell him. But no amount of ill usage, […] will in England free a wife from her tormentor” just like slaves under extreme cases (Mill 506).
Mill proceeds to write of how no matter what the situation entails, it is expected for the situation to be judged by the best parts of whatever the situation entails. Mill understands that there are marriages between men and women that are not complete tyranny and can, in some cases, be a rather positive situation. However, he believes that, although there may be exceptions to the case, the laws should not be formed due to what good men do, but rather, what bad men do. He says that men are not asked to prove that they are able to hold a position of ‘absolute power’. Women and children underneath the husband feel as though there is an emotional, legal, and social obligation to abide by the husband’s ruling (Mill 507).
Mill repeats on how even the most despicable man has complete and utter control over his wife, and can commit any sort of harassment or crime against her, without the fear of legal penalty (Mill 508). He assimilates the likeness between wife and slave, as he explains how a wife is not able to resist the husband’s aggression and must endure the “bodily violence towards the unhappy wife” (Mill 508). He reiterates on how, despite the extreme domestic violence that may happen, husbands typically go unpunished, and until these violent actions have repercussions on the husband, “the attempt to repress these ‘aggravated assaults by legal penalties will break down for want of a prosecutor, or for want of a witness” (Mill 508).