Student EnGAGEd
Winner of Matilda Joslyn Gage Essay Contest 2009 - Molly Linhorst, Fayetteville-Manlius High School Junior
Molly Linhorst, winner of 2009 Matilda Joslyn Gage Essay Contest
“Fear not any attempt to frown down the revolution already commenced; nothing is more fertile aid of reform, than any attempt to check it.” –Matilda Joslyn Gage at the National Woman’s Rights Convention of 1852 (retrieved from http://www.matildajoslyngage.org/ )
Silence and fear of criticism are opponents of free thought and reform. Matilda Joslyn Gage, in her speech at the National Woman’s Rights Convention of 1852, encouraged women to expect criticism for their involvement in the feminist movement and to bear it with unwavering confidence. Gage’s courage led to an admirable life devoted to change. Gage is certainly a role model to today’s generation of young women, including myself. As I saunter through my own life, criticism inevitably greets me with its callous smirk. Nevertheless, in emulation of Matilda Joslyn Gage, I accept criticism, assured in my values.
Matilda Joslyn Gage was an independent thinker and a reformer of the nineteenth century. Gage deserves to be admired for her commitment and undying strength in the face of scrutiny. Committed to the abolitionist movement, she was one of only two people who volunteered their homes as stations for the Underground Railroad in Fayetteville. Helen, Gage’s daughter, remembers seeing an African-American on his knees thanking Gage for her hospitality and sacrifice. Such sacrifice ran deeper than a potential run-in with the law; Gage risked losing the respect of her neighbors. Gage became involved with much more than abolitionism. After speaking and writing publicly and prolifically about the need to improve the treatment of Native Americans, Gage was adopted by the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk nation in 1893. Gage especially wrote about women of the Haudenosaunee, whose culture considered them equal to men. A devotion to the feminist movement encased Gage’s daily life. She served on nearly every committee for women’s rights including leading the New York Woman Suffrage Association, creating the Women’s National Liberal Union in 1890, and working on the International Congress of Women of 1888. Gage published a book titled Woman, Church, and State in 1893; edited and published The National Citizen and Ballot Box and wrote for The New York Evening Post about Native Americans and women’s rights. With growing interest in the role of the Church on women’s suffrage, Gage became vocal about the Church’s negative influence on women’s rights and its attempt to turn the United States into a purely Christian nation.
Gage’s speeches and writing were controversial. At the time, society frowned upon women who spoke publicly, especially those who spoke to a mixed audience. Unlike other women, Gage was not concerned about being polite. She exposed herself every day to criticism, and encouraged others to do the same. Criticism became a driving force in Gage’s life, furthering her commitment and leading to outstanding accomplishments despite constant disparagement. Gage strengthened the feminist movement, leading to more recent feminist leaders and increasing equality.
As a young girl, my father would tuck me in at night asking, “Now, Molly, do you ever give up?” I would have to say, “No, Dad, never give up.” He, in turn, would ask, “What if someone said you can’t do something because you’re a girl?” In response, “I would tell them they’re wrong.” Matilda Joslyn Gage would be proud of my father’s dedication to my self-confidence and feminist views. Like Gage, I have opinions that aren’t always popular, particularly among my peers. I value my education - I push myself every day and I hate to take the easy way out. My friends tease me about my masochistic choices. I don’t go to many stereotypical seventeen-year-olds’ parties, nor do I drink. I’m sure many of my peers, or readers of this essay, would believe that my parents, or perhaps my religious beliefs, gave me my values. I cannot ignore my parents’ influence. And I am religious, but a free-thinker and liberal in my politics. I put pressure on myself, the same pressure that pushed Gage. This pressure - pressure exuded by oneself - drives people to foster positive change. Expectations among teenagers are much more controlling than the infamous peer pressure discussed in health class; I see fear controlling my peers on a daily basis. This fear controls me, too. It’s only natural for humans to feel compelled to conform. Nevertheless, I try to maintain my principles.
Last year, shortly after my school’s cheating scandal, I noticed a girl writing answers on her arm before an exam. I felt the need to act, especially after the discussion in my Sociology class that morning: in order for reform to occur, individuals have to be willing to take a stand despite the consequences. I reported the incident to my teacher. My friends later laughed at me. Some became angry with me. Nevertheless, it was this simple act - reporting a list of blue ink on a forearm - that showed me the risks honest leaders take. There have been many times I’ve chosen not to speak out. As I grow, however, I become more opinionated and courageous. Matilda Joslyn Gage did not take the easy course. I intend to follow after Gage, in my own way, and maintain an integrity that cannot sway.
Silence is a relentless danger to society, quieting citizens from their duties as humans to create change. Today, inequality exists, whether it’s in my suburban school, where miniskirts are the norm among young women, or in the House of Representatives and the Senate, where female representatives are still trumped by their male counterparts. Social boundaries are becoming less noticeable, but they still exist. We, as a nation, as a people, cannot give in to silence, or ignorance, or an easy course. Like Gage, we must face the future head on, with every imperfection, embrace our values, and fight for what is right each day. We cannot allow silence to envelop our voices, blanketing society with submission.
“Do you ever give up?” No, you don’t.
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A year ago I received a request – one of many I receive — for information from a student creating a History Day Project on Matilda Joslyn Gage. I sent her information and guided her in some directions. I recently received this, her college entrance essay. She has given us permission to share her essay, anonymously. Matilda continues to speak to young women today!
Sally Roesch Wagner
To be serenaded by faith is bliss. To know the truth about life, the world, and G*d is euphoric; there is an answer to every question and a clear path to follow. Yet, it seems that often in religion, that which seems unfair must be disregarded. Throughout my life, I have believed with all of my heart the justifications given to the many doctrines of Islam. That is, until I read a book by Matilda Joslyn Gage, a 19th century founder of feminism. Through a National History Day Project for my AP United States History class, I discovered Matilda Joslyn Gage, a female revolutionary.
Gage was the author of many speeches, essays, and books. The book that really challenged me was Woman, Church and State published in 1893. Blasphemous, insolent, unnecessary, and offensive were the words that ran through my mind as I examined the text. Still, my eyes would not look away, and my hesitant yet eager heart pushed me to read further. As a devout, hijab-wearing Muslim, reading and enjoying the book was probably a transgression against the doctrines of my religion. It refuted the story of Adam and Eve, spoke of times when goddesses were worshipped and females were respected, condemned religious law because of its partiality to man, and identified religious establishment as a means of degrading women. Yet, this book caused me to question myself. For days, I slaved over comprehending her words and comparing them to my learned truths. How was it that prior to reading this book, I did not try to find logical reasons for why women were bound to unfair doctrines in Islam? My religious beliefs were all I had ever known, and to question them would break the foundation upon which I was raised.
Just a couple of years ago, I would have never thought about why it was Eve that reached towards the forbidden fruit on the tree of knowledge, going against G*d’s orders and establishing original sin. It had just happened that way, I believed, and is written in the Quran. After reading Gage’s book, my understanding of this story in which three major religions are rooted was altered. Was it simply a coincidence that original sin was created when Eve reached towards the tree of knowledge and that for thousands of years women had been denied education? Or could it be possible that this story was forged in order to destroy “her self-respect” and to teach “her to feel consciousness of guilt in the very fact of her existence” (Woman, Church and State, 226)? Gage’s witty thinking made me smile. She stated that even if the story about original sin and Eve were true, no religion would exist if this woman, Eve, had not committed a sin, as then Jesus would never have had to save humanity!
I once asked my aunt why men were allowed to marry up to four women. Her answer was modest and simple: Men took other wives if they were widowed, had children, and needed support. They also took more wives if their wife needed more help in caring for the household and children. I accepted what she said, and moved on. Now that my received truths have been challenged by Gage’s book, I consult a variety of sources to develop my interpretation. While indeed, many widowed women with children were taken up by other men, Rosalind Miles argues in her book Who Cooked the Last Supper, polygamy was established because women were objects of sexuality and so were taken in to fulfill men’s desires.
While I may have been ignorant when I was younger, I was in bliss. I loved what I believed in and believed it with all of my heart. I was always the one who was knowledgeable about my religion, who could recall stories from the Quran in a snap, who could explain the reasoning behind things that seemed unfair. Maybe I was too naïve to think for myself, or maybe I just wasn’t looking for imperfections because I was so bonded to my beliefs. It is possibly one of the most intimidating and uncomfortable feelings to feel that you are rejecting what is supposed to be true. It is heartbreaking, too, to feel that what you have always known as true, have believed in with all of your heart, is somehow fabrication. Even writing about this topic proves extremely difficult for me. It is not my intention to sound subversive or to shed a negative light upon Islam. I am writing about this because my religion is such a huge part of my life. When something that big in one’s life somehow suddenly feels unstable, one’s whole world shakes. If a Muslim family member ever knew of my feelings, they would be extremely disappointed. That is the most unkind, worldly punishment of all. To know that I could possibly be questioning what is true is one of the biggest dilemmas I’ve had to face. The consequences for rejecting the true faith are not soft.
It’s not that I have renounced Islam, for I am still Muslim, and I am thankful that Islam is the religion I choose to follow. But I do take much more care to consider the justifications regarding the many doctrines that I live. And I no longer depend on explanations for doctrines from other people. I feel that moving from a sheltered environment to a more exposed one will introduce me to new people, places, and knowledge that will contribute to my future experiences. I am looking forward to college because, among other things, I firmly believe that it will heighten my curiosity and help me understand myself and my beliefs.
