To Educate, or not to educate What was the question?

[Marta Jespersen]

Mary Wollstonecraft--mother to Mary Shelley--was a great women who believed deeply in the power of education. As part of my course requirements I had to read one of her works which revolved around education. To my surprise the words to teach and to educate are very different. Teaching involves simple instruction whilst education involves leading. She wrote in response to the French Revolution as well as in response to all of the things which had happened in her own life. She died, like many women, giving birth to her only daughter who was appropriately named Mary. Mary Shelleys father made the decision to educate his daughter about the power of the feminine mind and the "feminine mystique" he also taught her to read write etc. My question is how many men, today, would take that much care and effort into educating their daughters if something unspeakable would happen to their mothers?

[Aphie]

Marta,
When you have time for enjoyable reading again, you may like to try "Passion" by Jude Morgan - about the lives of four women who were influential in the lives of some of the greatest writers of their time (including Mary Shelley and her relationship with Shelley himself). It's very definitely fiction, just a warning!