The late 18th century was a busy time for writers and thinkers. Affected by the French Revolution, these people routinely published their opinions for public review and comment. The entire literary community was abuzz, publishing articles and responses to articles seemingly overnight. Edmund Burke, author of "Reflections on the Revolution in France" (1790), criticized English sympathizers of the revolution. To which Mary Wollstonecraft published a response, "A Vindication of the Rights of Men," challenging Burke's position and accusing him of forgetting to consider the underclass. His essay sparked a wave of responses, particularly Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man," published in 1791-92. In the space of an astonishing six weeks, Wollstonecraft responds with “A Vindication on the Rights of Women,” an essay that defends women because of their disadvantaged nature. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In this essay, Mary Wollstonecraft shares her view of the roles of men and women and how they are shaped by nature, society, and nurture. She often states that, if given the opportunity to receive an education, women could find themselves on an equal footing with men. It also says that the goal of said education is complete independence. Therefore, since fully educated women should be equal to men and at the same time independent, fully educated men should already embody his "ideal person". Through a careful reading of her text, particularly her perception of gender roles and her aspects of the "ideal person", one can conclude that Mary Wollstonecraft's model for her "ideal person" is based on men. Wollstonecraft places equal blame on nature, men and women for their inferior position in life. He begins by saying that men have the natural advantage because, due to their physiological structure, they are superior. However, just because men can lift bigger rocks, does not in itself force women into the crisis they find themselves in. Wollstonecraft says that it is very unfortunate that manners are learned before morals because women learn their social roles before they have sufficient mind to challenge them. And he goes on to argue that men place women and children in the same category, as innocent but senseless creatures with no practical value. With the current educational structure, women were educated at home, thus learning to become responsible for the home. Wollstonecraft believes that men can only respect a woman as if they were a trusted servant, and this is unacceptable. Another great disservice to women is their lack of opportunities to exercise their minds. “Women's minds are weakened by false refinement,” says Wollstonecraft, adding that the same problem afflicts members of the upper classes of society. Education is wasted on women and the wealthy because they are never forced to apply what they learn. Women appear useless because they are not equipped with the tools to develop into something of value to society; their world does not extend beyond the walls of their homes. However, Wollstonecraft firmly believes that women and men are equally capable; women simply need to be given the opportunity. You can see how society has crippled women's vision of themselves and their potential. Wollstonecraft quickly addresses the shortcomings of the educational and social system when it comes to women; therefore, it is implied that she believes that men have.