Mary Wollstonecraft and Themes of Nature and Society

Mary Wollstonecraft had a way with words and was skilled at crafting language to convey situations and express her emotions. Through literature, writers can capture even the most mundane details of society and nature in the most captivating ways. They use prose, poetry, and well-crafted sentences to make reading and listening to their work a pleasure. Literary inspiration often stems from social practices embedded in culture, gender, and politics, as well as the raw beauty of nature, which can motivate writers to create compelling works. The nature of both society and the world inspired Wollstonecraft to write letters at different stages of her journey in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Norway. These letters were later compiled into a collection of stories that illustrated her feelings towards her disappointing lover, Gilbert Imlay, and invited readers to join her on her journey. Thus, this essay will explore how Wollstonecraft portrays society and nature in her literature and compare her writing with that of William Wordsworth and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Wollstonecraft carefully selected her words to convey the theme of emancipation in the society she was exploring. Emancipation was a political issue that writers during classical periods often contributed to. In this context, Wollstonecraft struggled to free herself from the shackles of despondency, bureaucratic procedures, and the pain of disappointment caused by Imlay. She wrote, "...I watched for two long hours for a boat to free me...Every cloud that flitted on the horizon was hailed as a liberator" (Wollstonecraft, 1889, p. 7). The author wanted to leave the uncomfortable sea vessel, but the ship captain had to follow existing policies regulating access to Gothenburg Island. Wollstonecraft captured the scene creatively, using diction that accurately reflected the context of sea travel and created a vivid mental image in the reader's mind.

Similarly, the subject of freedom comes out in William Wordsworth’s poem, Nutting, with humor and elements of poise. Emancipation takes different forms in the social context. For instance, the poem highlights a young man who is in transition to adulthood and charts a course to find more meaning in life. The protagonist sets forth and breaks free from the way of life he has been leading. The poet captures the incident in the following lines, “When, in the eagerness of boyish hope/ I left our cottage-threshold, sallying forth/ With a huge wallet o’er my shoulder slung.” (Wordsworth, 1798, Nutting 4-6). The poetic structure of the choice of words builds from the onset of the realization that there was a need to find out more about life. Freedom comes in the form of the protagonist’s decision to embark on an unknown journey. It is an adventure that will see him through different life stages and new environments. Thus, the poem is structurally arranged to demonstrate emancipation pursuit from an individual's decisions. The approach is different from Wollstonecraft's delivery of the emancipation proclamation. She employed a narrative that contrasts the poetic arrangement of words in Wordsworth’s poem.

In addition, Wollstonecraft's writing demonstrates the role of personality in making relevant decisions in an individual's day-to-day life. The concept is brought up with an efficient example of following the laws and social regulation to the core. For instance, she chooses effective words that bring out the captain as a very noble man who is bound by social regulation and takes pride in creating a kind environment for the people around him. She writes, “The captain was a good-nurtured man, but men with common minds seldom break through general rules…they rarely go as far as they may in any undertaking who are determined not to go beyond it on any account.” (Wollstonecraft, 1889, 7). The description gives modest men the perception that they are weak. It highlights that on most occasions, they will resort to known experiences at the expense of taking a risk to venture into an unknown experience. Wollstonecraft details the experience with her boat captain as relaxed and employs rich words that effectively capture the experience.

In contrast, Jean-Jacques Rosseau highlights personality development informed by his childhood experiences. He delivers the thought through detailed introspection and reflection on the activities they did with his family members on a routine basis. The parents and family members created a functional environment where the writer could build his comprehension abilities and learn of the feelings that are associated with such development. He proclaims that the process was rich in social knowledge and introduces him to a warm society where there is a lot of kindness. Eventually, he laments, “…confused succession of emotions did not retard the future efforts of my reason, though they added an extravagant, romantic notion of human life, which experience and reflection have never been able to eradicate.” (Rosseau, 1782, 1). Rosseau's childhood experiences form the framework for his reasoning and ability to offer credible judgment to life situations. Thus, he comes off as sensitive and has an eye for kindness in society. The reflection is contrary to Wollstonecraft's expectation since her sentiments revealed her demeanor, aggression, and willingness to venture beyond the norm. A comparison of Rosseau and Wollstonecraft's argument on personality is mostly informed by their experiences and the consequent reasoning they developed.

Furthermore, Wollstonecraft is efficient in her depiction of nature as she viewed it during her journey to Gothenburg. The revelation of nature in this context involves the description of natural elements and highlighting their relationship to human beings. Wollstonecraft employs words that evoke the feeling that stems from sunbeams and the contrast it avails with the prevailing circumstances. For instance, she writes, “The sunbeams that played on the ocean… contrasted with the huge dark rocks, that looked like the rude materials of creation forming the barrier of unwrought space…” (Wollstonecraft, 1889, 8). The beauty in the natural features of the universe was contrary to the exhaustion that was evident in their gaze. Thus, the ability to recognize the elements of nature in the sea and surrounding environment provides a great appreciation that goes beyond the normal challenges that awash daily human life. Her demonstration of the Sea shores and the Islands depicts gratitude and the value of literature to capture and tell our stories efficiently.

Similarly, Wordsworth has captured nature effectively while employing the captivating features in poetry and the complementary choices of words in the description. The course of self-discovery and breaking free from social expectations is filled with many uncertainties. Rough paths and unfamiliar grounds harbor a lot of mystery that would deter the protagonist from his pursuit. For example, he writes, “Forcing my way, I came to one dear nook/…/ Drooped with its withered leaves, ungracious sign/ Of devastation, but hazels rose/ Tall and erect, with tempting clusters hung.” (Wordsworth, 1798, Nutting 16-20). The selected lines give a complete count of the environment the protagonist chose to take into consideration during the journey. It comes out rocky with minimal activities. Besides, the poet employs personification since he describes the vegetation as "tall and erect," which are human attributes. The description adds humor to the poem and enables the poet to give a captivating recount of the natural scene. Additionally, the scene contributes to the protagonist’s anxiety and raises curiosity about the potential implications of the path ahead.

Finally, Wollstonecraft and Rosseau have demonstrated the social expectations that come with gender and age, respectively, in the social dimension. Society is designed to assign social responsibilities to children and adults, which gives birth to the concept of gender. Any move contrary to the existing expectations is always met with so much reverence. For example, during the journey from Gothenburg Island, the writer details the claims of their host. “At supper, my host told me bluntly that I was a woman of observation, for I asked him men’s questions.” (Wollstonecraft, 1889, 10). In the same manner, Rosseau highlights the experiences that shaped his understanding of society during his apprenticeship. The expectations that were placed on them as employees confined their ability to express themselves is akin to slavery. He recounts, “Nothing ever gave me a clearer demonstration of the difference between filial dependence and abject slavery…” (Rosseau, 1782, 2). Thus, the working environment subjected the writer to policies that would confine his rights to expression and make a relevant contribution during crises.

In conclusion, Mary Wollstonecraft highlights the themes of society and nature through the application of diverse literary techniques. She proceeds to bring out the various aspects of the social dimension that affect the day-to-day living of human beings. Similarly, William Wordsworth captured the same themes in his poetry and accompanied them with stylistic features to build on the credibility of his poetry. Besides, Jean-Jacques Rosseau brings out the social aspect of life and nature in the same manner. A comparison between the writers reveals rich differences that inform their writing and delivery on the highlighted subjects. It also paves the way to understanding how diverse perspectives can enable coming up with different forms of literature.

References

Rosseau, J. (1782). The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rosseau. Launette Aux Deux-Ponts: Chez Sanson Et Compagnie.

Wollstonecraft, M. (1889). Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK & MELBOURNE; Cassell & Company Limited.

Wordsworth, W. (1798). Nutting, Heart-Leap Well. In William Wordsworth's Nature Poems.