Project Gutenberg 2004-09-15 Public domain in the USA. 227 Higginson, Thomas Wentworth 1823 1911 Higginson, T. W. (Thomas Wentworth) Women and the Alphabet: A Series of Essays Ought women to learn the alphabet? -- Physiology -- Temperament -- The home -- Society -- Study and work -- Principles of government -- Suffrage -- Objections to suffrage. E-text prepared by Judith B. Glad and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Woman and the Alphabet: A Series of Essays" by Thomas Wentworth Higginson is a collection of essays written in the late 19th century that engages with the educational and social status of women. The essays explore themes such as women's rights, education, and the societal expectations surrounding femininity. Higginson argues for women's access to education, using the metaphor of the "alphabet" to represent knowledge and power, thereby advocating for women's liberation and equality in a world that has traditionally relegated them to subordinate roles. At the start of this collection, Higginson introduces his first essay, "Ought Women to Learn the Alphabet?" by referencing a satirical proposal from Napoleon’s time, which humorously suggested that women should be prohibited from learning to read and write. He critiques the historical injustices women have faced due to societal perceptions of their inferiority and academia's neglect to recognize women as equals. Higginson discusses the pressures and prejudices that have historically kept women from accessing knowledge, emphasizing the need for change and encouraging women to aspire to and claim their rightful place in society. The beginning effectively sets the tone for a critical examination of gender roles and advocates for the intellectual advancement of women, establishing a foundation for the essays that follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 62.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Women -- Social and moral questions Women -- Education PS Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: Gender & Sexuality Studies 502750 2025-08-06T05:37:03.867360 text/html 472208 2024-10-28T20:26:24 text/html 287001 2025-08-06T05:37:12.154288 application/epub+zip 292514 2025-08-06T05:37:07.129368 application/epub+zip 271394 2025-08-06T05:37:05.891322 application/epub+zip 594770 2025-08-06T05:37:16.616275 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 532806 2025-08-06T05:37:11.372313 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 431353 2022-09-07T02:22:03.657082 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 485780 2025-08-06T05:37:03.146329 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 465878 2024-10-28T20:26:24 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16879 2025-08-06T05:37:16.746261 application/rdf+xml 20025 2025-08-06T05:37:06.400315 image/jpeg 4477 2025-08-06T05:37:06.145339 image/jpeg 279770 2025-08-06T05:37:03.907349 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia