First of all, let's revisit this.
Because, 'Yonce.
Second of all, let's talk about the weather:
Okay, I'm ready. Coffee in hand. Let's talk Astell. Is it bad that the entire time I read this, I thought about Regina George from Mean Girls? Because, Astell is so FETCH. No, but really.
"An Ingenious Woman is no Prodigy to be star'd on, for you have it in your power to inform the World, that you can every one of you be so, if you please your selves," (847).
I'm not entirely sure what Astell's thing with capitalizing words is, but I hope you noticed that she REALLY likes it. Maybe it helps her "to endeavour the Improvement of their Minds," or else, she is really. trying. to. make. a. POINT. Got it. For my final paper, I am thinking somewhere along the lines of comparing the representation of women in texts during this time period versus the representations of women in art during the same period. I think that it would be quite fascinating to compare male authors and artists perceptions against women authors and artists. Even the particular words that Astell chooses to capitalize in order to illustrate her point is interesting to me, because of what she valued in her idea of "women." However, she does caution against the pursuit of perfection, "to imitate the Perfections of all, and avoid their mistakes; for few are so perfect as to be without fault, and few so bad as to have nothing good in them," (853). Obviously, the "few" who are so perfect include Beyonce. Admit it -- you know it -- Karen knew it:
Fake-ness is also a favorite point of Astells, when she cautions, "You disdain the base ungenerous Practice of pretending Kindness where you really mean none," (849). She also motivates women to, "brighten and enlarge your Souls, that the Beauty of your Bodies is but a secondary care, your Dress grows unconcerning, and your Glass is ne're consulted but in such little intervals of time as hang loose between those hours that are destined to nobler Employments, you now begin to throw off your old Prejudices and smile on 'em as antiquated Garbs; false Reasoning won't down with you, and glittering Nonsense," (849). YOU TELL 'EM, ASTELL. Needless to say, I will continue to take notice of the perceptions of women in text, and I'm sure you are all surprised by that as well. Happy Monday!
Kelsey, I enjoyed reading through your blog posting, especially your salient point concerning the quote on 849. It seems to encompass everything about BEING a woman as well as the secondary qualities as well, this all being wrapped up in the larger social contexts (or should I say constraints) in society. I'm especially interested in your discussion about representations of women both in rhetoric as well as in art and track their comparisons and contrasting features.
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