Subjects:
change. Views traditionally held started to be questioned. This
is most evident in the literature of the time. Many wrote about
social change in various forms. Mill in his book The Subjection
of Women challenged the long held belief that women were
inferior. He used examples from society to show that other
injustices were righted and so to should the subjection of women.
Wells? book The Time Machine was a warning to people about the
consequences of further social wrongs. Together they lay an
The main topic in The Subjection of Women is obviously the
treatment of women. Despite this Mill also comments on other
aspects of society. He does not solely concentrate on women?s
rights. This allows a comparison to other works about different
subjects. Wells only briefly addresses women in his book, but we
can still compare the two on different ideas.
Mill starts discussing how power is doled out. He submits
that in older times power was taken by those with greater force.
Might makes right, is the gist of his argument. He calls this a,
?... primitive condition ...?(Mill 7). In more civilized times,
. . .
would make men less arrogant, by that he means men would feel
less superior to all because he is no longer taught that he is at
least superior to half of society. Women, being equal to men in the future,
obviously didn?t increase morality. The Morlocks are the working class
that was kept under ground to support the upper class topside. To Mill?s claim that women would make
society more moral, Wells has responded by making the future
devoid of morality. Wells also exposes class
struggles.
This is a direct reflection of Mill and his theories. Only
fighting was able to end serfdom. Where population is balanced and
abundant, much childbearing becomes and evil rather
than a blessing to the State: where violence comes but
rarely and offspring are secure, there is less
necessity - indeed there is no necessity - for an
efficient family, and the specialisation of the sexes
with reference to their children?s needs disappears
(25). The Time Traveler sees that women were no longer subject
to men. Wells also addresses this in his work. In Wells?
future society there isn?t any political organization, but also
there is no difference in men and women?s power or freedom.
It is exactly what Mill has outlined in his book. He sees women as equals and
it is only fit that they have equal representation. But, this proves
that Wells thinks women can be equally good and equally bad as
men.
Essay's Topics
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