If women have a greater natural inclination for some things than for others,there is no need of laws or social inculcation to make the majority of themdo the former in preference to the latter. Whatever women's services aremost wanted for, the free play of competition will hold out the strongestinducements to them to undertake. And, as the words imply, they are mostwanted for the things for which they are most fit; by the apportionment ofwhich to them, the collective faculties of the two sexes can be applied onthe whole with the greatest sum of valuable result.
The general opinion of men is supposed to be, that the natural vocationof a woman is that of a wife and mother. I say, is supposed to be, because,judging from acts -- from the whole of the present constitution of society-- one might infer that their opinion was the direct contrary. They mightbe supposed to think that the alleged natural vocation of women was of allthings the most repugnant to their nature; insomuch that if they are freeto do anything else -- if any other means of living or occupation of theirtime and faculties, is open, which has any chance of appearing desirableto them -- there will not be enough of them who will be willing to acceptthe condition said to be natural to them. If this is the real opinion ofmen in general, it would be well that it should be spoken out. I should liketo hear somebody openly enunciating the doctrine (it is already implied inmuch that is written on the subject) -- It is necessary to society that womenshould marry and produce children. They will not do so unless they are compelled.
Therefore it is necessary to compel them." The merits of the case wouldthen be clearly defined. It would be exactly that of the slave-holders ofSouth Carolina and Louisiana. "It is necessary that cotton and sugarshould be grown. White men cannot produce them. Negroes will not, for anywages which we choose to give. Ergo they must be compelled." An illustrationstill closer to the point is that of impressment. Sailors must absolutelybe had to defend the country. It often happens that they will not voluntarilyenlist. Therefore there must be the power of forcing them. How often hasthis logic been used! and, but for one flaw in it, without doubt it wouldhave been successful up to this day. But it is open to the retort -- Firstpay the sailors the honest value of their labour. When you have made it aswell worth their while to serve you, as to work for other employers, youwill have no more difficulty than others have in obtaining their services.
To this there is no logical answer except "I will not": and aspeople are now not only ashamed, but are not desirous, to rob the labourerof his hire, impressment is no longer advocated. Those who attempt to forcewomen into marriage by closing all other doors against them, lay themselvesopen to a similar retort. If they mean what they say, their opinion mustevidently be, that men do not render the married condition so desirable towomen, as to induce them to accept it for its own recommendations. It isnot a sign of one's thinking the boon one offers very attractive, when oneallows only Hobson's choice, "that or none." And here, I believe,is the clue to the feelings of those men, who have a real antipathy to theequal freedom of women. I believe they are afraid, not lest women shouldbe unwilling to marry, for I do not think that anyone in reality has thatapprehension; but lest they should insist that marriage should be on equalconditions; lest all women of spirit and capacity should prefer doing almostanything else, not in their own eyes degrading, rather than marry, when marryingis giving themselves a master, and a master too of all their earthly possessions.
And truly, if this consequence were necessarily incident to marriage, I thinkthat the apprehension would be very well founded. I agree in thinking itprobable that few women, capable of anything else, would, unless under anirresistible entrainment, rendering them for the time insensible to anythingbut itself, choose such a lot, when any other means were open to them offilling a conventionally honourable place in life: and if men are determinedthat the law of marriage shall be a law of despotism, they are quite right,in point of mere policy, in leaving to women only Hobson's choice. But, inthat case, all that has been done in the modern world to relax the chainon the minds of women, has been a mistake. They never should have been allowedto receive a literary education. Women who read, much more women who write,are, in the existing constitution of things, a contradiction and a disturbingelement: and it was wrong to bring women up with any acquirements but thoseof an odalisque, or of a domestic servant.
NOTES:
1. Title-page of Mme de Stael's Delphine.
