Essay and opinion on the way o
Essay and opinion on the way oNotes on The Way of Duty: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America,
By Joy Day Buel & Richard Buel Jr. :
In the Book the Way of Duty, the life and hardships of Mary Fish Silliman is described with remarkable detail and conveys an understanding of this woman, and other women, during the American Revolution. Many lives, not just those of women were immensely disturbed and changed during this period in time. Mary�s experience touches upon several of the issues the people of this time went through in an intimate and detailed way so that those of us unfamiliar with life during these times of struggle can obtain a better understanding.
Understanding the past is indispensable in order to understand and assess the present. Though everyone who was exposed to the revolution was greatly impacted, women�s societal roles were impacted the most in my humble opinion. In responding to the Linda K. Kerber statement I agree that the war was a traumatic nightmare for women as well as all Americans, but it was also a time for women to unmask their loyalty and patriotism for their country and their men like Kerber states. It was a time for women to step up and take charge of their families while their men were away; this meant assuming all duties of the family not just those patterned around the household.
Kerber�s condensed statement is a general evaluation of how women were influenced during the revolution overall. And unknowingly it is practically an immediate parallel to Mary Fish�s life at that time as well. Mary�s capability to defeat a long span of severe depression due to being overwhelmed by a series of losses, such as the loss of her first child Rebecca, and many complications demonstrates strength that even innumerable people can not overcome at the present day. The strength that Mary had possessed, in my eyes, stems from her education. Her education can be viewed as an intensely prominent source for much of her accomplishments. With all of the men in her life, family and suitors except for her father, having attended Yale she set a high regard for education for herself as well as those around her. Her father�s emphasis on education also played a significant role in the blossoming of her independence, with insisting that if she was educated early enough, her expectations of the men in her life would supply her with better judgement of them.
I�m sure a great multitude of women during and after the War of Independence had the determination and the encouragement to become independent, strong, loyal matriarchs but many lacked the fundamental resources for this tremendous step up. Being able to break from the molds their men had set for them meant much more than assuming simple role reversals and performing duties other than motherhood and housework. It...
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