Mary Cassatt's Declaration Of Sentiments And Resolutions

1215 Words3 Pages

The ideas of gender equality have been a major problem in every generation. People have always taken advantage of people by judging them from their gender. The problems are mostly seen back in the day around the 19th, which we learned from Elizabeth Cady Stanton in her opinions on women’s rights and Mary Cassatt had portray the roles of women into the painting to let us see. From reading “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” I understand more how women were treated by men and how their freedoms are limited. I understand the opinion that Stanton’s wanted us to agree on when I had the chance to see Mary Cassatt painting, “A Women And A Girl Driving”. Cassatt’s painting makes me see the emotion and mood of women at that time more. Combining …show more content…

Meanwhile, it was important for men to be educated due to the fact that they went to work.“I think a man who under the present state of things has the moral hardihood to take an education at the hands of woman and at such an expense to her.” Stanton’s mention that, society feels that it’s a cost for women to be educated which is why it’s not useful. Cassatt’s painting didn’t really show much about the women education. But, from the Philadelphia Art Museum trip, I can see other painting that portrays the education of women such as “Mother and Child”. Most paintings of women are always portraying in mother and child categories. From this ideas, it shows that most women role is to take care of the children because that’s all they can do since they’re not educated to do other things. Looking from another viewpoint, Cassatt’s also might want to show the audience in a feminine perspective, by drawing both young girl and woman sitting in front of the carriage and making the women drive instead of the men. By doing this, it will convince the audience to believe that women aren’t weak as the society think, they can also do things that normal men do. Looking at the woman eyes who’s driving the carriage, I can see the strongness and courage attribute of her because she looks like she is not scared of anything. I think …show more content…

Women and men have always treated each other with no respect, as they always think themselves as the dominant one, or one with the most power by using gender and education as their judgment. Stanton’s mentioned that household with male or women dominant will always be a problem inside the family, as no one will be willing to agree with each other decision. When men have the power they will take control of the women’s decision such as, stay home and take care of the kids, or cook for the husband every day. They are always in command, which the women will eventually feel like they have no freedom to do anything else. On the other hand, if women are dominant, then men will have to listen to everything, which is called “Hen-pecked Husband.” They will eventually not feel like a free man, all they do is respect the women. Stanton’s think that we must have equality, freedom, and not use gender to judge on the decision we make as she mentioned, “The only happy households we now see are those in which Husband and wife share equally in counsel and government. There can be no true dignity or independence where there is subordination, no happiness without freedom.” From looking at the mood and tones of the painting, I can sense the sadness of both girl and woman in front of the carriage. The face expression of the girl shows that she’s living with sadness. Her sadness is showing

Open Document