A quote from the introduction of Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Here is a sentence from her introduction:
I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
What are the siblings [sisters] in this long sentence? Here is the part of the sentence which I suppose should give the context. I replace "those beings" with women.
Delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that (women) who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
My guess is that the pair is "weakness" and "pity." Grammatically, how is "pity" associated with "weakness" in this sentence?
grammar sentence
add a comment |
Here is a sentence from her introduction:
I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
What are the siblings [sisters] in this long sentence? Here is the part of the sentence which I suppose should give the context. I replace "those beings" with women.
Delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that (women) who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
My guess is that the pair is "weakness" and "pity." Grammatically, how is "pity" associated with "weakness" in this sentence?
grammar sentence
"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
2
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
1
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
1
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
1
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Here is a sentence from her introduction:
I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
What are the siblings [sisters] in this long sentence? Here is the part of the sentence which I suppose should give the context. I replace "those beings" with women.
Delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that (women) who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
My guess is that the pair is "weakness" and "pity." Grammatically, how is "pity" associated with "weakness" in this sentence?
grammar sentence
Here is a sentence from her introduction:
I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
What are the siblings [sisters] in this long sentence? Here is the part of the sentence which I suppose should give the context. I replace "those beings" with women.
Delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that (women) who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.
My guess is that the pair is "weakness" and "pity." Grammatically, how is "pity" associated with "weakness" in this sentence?
grammar sentence
grammar sentence
edited 3 mins ago
aparente001
14.6k43268
14.6k43268
asked 3 hours ago
Adelyn
1042
1042
"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
2
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
1
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
1
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
1
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
2
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
1
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
1
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
1
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
2
2
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
1
1
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
1
1
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
1
1
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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... objects of pity, and (of) that kind of love which has been termed its (pity's) sister...
That is my interpretation.
New contributor
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
TL;DR: the "siblings" are pity and that kind of love, the latter referring to a love of women that is dependent on them displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
The best way to tackle a convoluted sentence like this is to break it down into meaningful components. Wollstonecraft starts by saying she wants to point out what true dignity and human happiness consist of, and following the dash, explains this in a different way. Let's look at what's after the dash, and replace the key noun phrases with placeholders to help understand the structure.
I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire A, and to convince
them that B [is] almost synonymous with C, and [to convince them] that D will soon become objects of contempt.
Okay, let's look at what A, B, C and D represent:
- A: strength, both of mind and body
- B: the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,
and refinement of taste - C: epithets of weakness
- D: those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of
love, which has been termed its sister.
So when Wollstonecraft says she wants to convince women that B is almost synonymous with C, she's saying that four qualities that (then) were regarded as 'feminine virtues' (the soft phrases, the susceptibility of heart, the delicacy of sentiment, and the refinement of taste) are defined in terms of weakness.
Well, is that a problem? Isn't the female meant to be the weaker gender? Wollstonecraft doesn't think so: she thinks that such women (represented by "D") will soon become objects of contempt.
The last task, then, is to look at "D" and extract its meaning. The three somewhat abstract components are "those beings" (i.e. women), "that kind of love" (i.e. the love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak), and "which has been termed its sister" (i.e. which is closely related). Let's put that all together:
D: those women who are only the objects of {pity and its close
relation (love of feminine weakness)}.
So, to answer the main part of the question - what are the "siblings"? - they are pity and that kind of love, where the latter refers to the kind of love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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... objects of pity, and (of) that kind of love which has been termed its (pity's) sister...
That is my interpretation.
New contributor
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
... objects of pity, and (of) that kind of love which has been termed its (pity's) sister...
That is my interpretation.
New contributor
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
... objects of pity, and (of) that kind of love which has been termed its (pity's) sister...
That is my interpretation.
New contributor
... objects of pity, and (of) that kind of love which has been termed its (pity's) sister...
That is my interpretation.
New contributor
New contributor
answered 3 hours ago
already puzzled
823
823
New contributor
New contributor
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
Certain abbreviations and omissions are typical of poetry. Mary Wollstonecraft was methodical in her prose. I doubt that this is the correct interpretation.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago
add a comment |
TL;DR: the "siblings" are pity and that kind of love, the latter referring to a love of women that is dependent on them displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
The best way to tackle a convoluted sentence like this is to break it down into meaningful components. Wollstonecraft starts by saying she wants to point out what true dignity and human happiness consist of, and following the dash, explains this in a different way. Let's look at what's after the dash, and replace the key noun phrases with placeholders to help understand the structure.
I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire A, and to convince
them that B [is] almost synonymous with C, and [to convince them] that D will soon become objects of contempt.
Okay, let's look at what A, B, C and D represent:
- A: strength, both of mind and body
- B: the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,
and refinement of taste - C: epithets of weakness
- D: those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of
love, which has been termed its sister.
So when Wollstonecraft says she wants to convince women that B is almost synonymous with C, she's saying that four qualities that (then) were regarded as 'feminine virtues' (the soft phrases, the susceptibility of heart, the delicacy of sentiment, and the refinement of taste) are defined in terms of weakness.
Well, is that a problem? Isn't the female meant to be the weaker gender? Wollstonecraft doesn't think so: she thinks that such women (represented by "D") will soon become objects of contempt.
The last task, then, is to look at "D" and extract its meaning. The three somewhat abstract components are "those beings" (i.e. women), "that kind of love" (i.e. the love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak), and "which has been termed its sister" (i.e. which is closely related). Let's put that all together:
D: those women who are only the objects of {pity and its close
relation (love of feminine weakness)}.
So, to answer the main part of the question - what are the "siblings"? - they are pity and that kind of love, where the latter refers to the kind of love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
add a comment |
TL;DR: the "siblings" are pity and that kind of love, the latter referring to a love of women that is dependent on them displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
The best way to tackle a convoluted sentence like this is to break it down into meaningful components. Wollstonecraft starts by saying she wants to point out what true dignity and human happiness consist of, and following the dash, explains this in a different way. Let's look at what's after the dash, and replace the key noun phrases with placeholders to help understand the structure.
I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire A, and to convince
them that B [is] almost synonymous with C, and [to convince them] that D will soon become objects of contempt.
Okay, let's look at what A, B, C and D represent:
- A: strength, both of mind and body
- B: the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,
and refinement of taste - C: epithets of weakness
- D: those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of
love, which has been termed its sister.
So when Wollstonecraft says she wants to convince women that B is almost synonymous with C, she's saying that four qualities that (then) were regarded as 'feminine virtues' (the soft phrases, the susceptibility of heart, the delicacy of sentiment, and the refinement of taste) are defined in terms of weakness.
Well, is that a problem? Isn't the female meant to be the weaker gender? Wollstonecraft doesn't think so: she thinks that such women (represented by "D") will soon become objects of contempt.
The last task, then, is to look at "D" and extract its meaning. The three somewhat abstract components are "those beings" (i.e. women), "that kind of love" (i.e. the love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak), and "which has been termed its sister" (i.e. which is closely related). Let's put that all together:
D: those women who are only the objects of {pity and its close
relation (love of feminine weakness)}.
So, to answer the main part of the question - what are the "siblings"? - they are pity and that kind of love, where the latter refers to the kind of love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
add a comment |
TL;DR: the "siblings" are pity and that kind of love, the latter referring to a love of women that is dependent on them displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
The best way to tackle a convoluted sentence like this is to break it down into meaningful components. Wollstonecraft starts by saying she wants to point out what true dignity and human happiness consist of, and following the dash, explains this in a different way. Let's look at what's after the dash, and replace the key noun phrases with placeholders to help understand the structure.
I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire A, and to convince
them that B [is] almost synonymous with C, and [to convince them] that D will soon become objects of contempt.
Okay, let's look at what A, B, C and D represent:
- A: strength, both of mind and body
- B: the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,
and refinement of taste - C: epithets of weakness
- D: those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of
love, which has been termed its sister.
So when Wollstonecraft says she wants to convince women that B is almost synonymous with C, she's saying that four qualities that (then) were regarded as 'feminine virtues' (the soft phrases, the susceptibility of heart, the delicacy of sentiment, and the refinement of taste) are defined in terms of weakness.
Well, is that a problem? Isn't the female meant to be the weaker gender? Wollstonecraft doesn't think so: she thinks that such women (represented by "D") will soon become objects of contempt.
The last task, then, is to look at "D" and extract its meaning. The three somewhat abstract components are "those beings" (i.e. women), "that kind of love" (i.e. the love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak), and "which has been termed its sister" (i.e. which is closely related). Let's put that all together:
D: those women who are only the objects of {pity and its close
relation (love of feminine weakness)}.
So, to answer the main part of the question - what are the "siblings"? - they are pity and that kind of love, where the latter refers to the kind of love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
TL;DR: the "siblings" are pity and that kind of love, the latter referring to a love of women that is dependent on them displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
The best way to tackle a convoluted sentence like this is to break it down into meaningful components. Wollstonecraft starts by saying she wants to point out what true dignity and human happiness consist of, and following the dash, explains this in a different way. Let's look at what's after the dash, and replace the key noun phrases with placeholders to help understand the structure.
I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire A, and to convince
them that B [is] almost synonymous with C, and [to convince them] that D will soon become objects of contempt.
Okay, let's look at what A, B, C and D represent:
- A: strength, both of mind and body
- B: the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,
and refinement of taste - C: epithets of weakness
- D: those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of
love, which has been termed its sister.
So when Wollstonecraft says she wants to convince women that B is almost synonymous with C, she's saying that four qualities that (then) were regarded as 'feminine virtues' (the soft phrases, the susceptibility of heart, the delicacy of sentiment, and the refinement of taste) are defined in terms of weakness.
Well, is that a problem? Isn't the female meant to be the weaker gender? Wollstonecraft doesn't think so: she thinks that such women (represented by "D") will soon become objects of contempt.
The last task, then, is to look at "D" and extract its meaning. The three somewhat abstract components are "those beings" (i.e. women), "that kind of love" (i.e. the love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak), and "which has been termed its sister" (i.e. which is closely related). Let's put that all together:
D: those women who are only the objects of {pity and its close
relation (love of feminine weakness)}.
So, to answer the main part of the question - what are the "siblings"? - they are pity and that kind of love, where the latter refers to the kind of love that is dependent on women displaying those feminine virtues that mark them as weak.
edited 52 mins ago
answered 58 mins ago
Chappo
2,56441225
2,56441225
add a comment |
add a comment |
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"that kind of love which has been termed its sister...." is not a term I am familiar with, but from the context it means love for someone that one regards as an inferior, either in physical, or mental, or moral strength, or all three. For example that kind of love is often directed at children or animals. How cute! How adorable! Don't interrupt the adults. Put the dog in its crate.
– ab2
3 hours ago
2
Where in this quotation does the word siblings appear?
– jsw29
2 hours ago
1
@jsw29 I assume the OP is using "siblings" to refer to "sister" (and by implication, the other related term) in the text. If so, it's a bit obtuse, but does make sense.
– Chappo
2 hours ago
1
Adelyn, I think there are several problems with your question. Firstly, you've actually asked two questions: what are the "siblings", and what is the grammatical association between "pity" and "weakness"? Secondly, I think you've guessed incorrectly about the "siblings", which means any answer addressing the second part of your question will be chasing the wrong goose. I'll post an answer that identifies what I believe are the correct "siblings"...
– Chappo
1 hour ago
1
@Chappo You are correct. I am using "siblings" metaphorically ... just like Mary Wollstonecraft used "sister" metaphorically.
– Adelyn
1 hour ago