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Mary Wollstonecraft : les droits de la femme (1re)

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AnglaisFrançais
Mary Wollstonecraft, an English writer and philosopherMary Wollstonecraft, écrivaine et philosophe anglaise
She argued that women should be educated like men.Elle soutenait que les femmes devaient être instruites comme les hommes.
Women are not naturally inferior; they lack education.Les femmes ne sont pas naturellement inférieures : elles manquent d'éducation.
a pioneer of feminismune pionnière du féminisme
Her ideas were ahead of her time.Ses idées étaient en avance sur son temps.
She was the mother of Mary Shelley.Elle était la mère de Mary Shelley.

En 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft publie A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Défense des droits de la femme). À une époque où les filles apprennent surtout à plaire, elle affirme que les femmes, comme les hommes, sont des êtres doués de raison et que leur infériorité apparente vient du manque d'éducation. Elle réclame donc une vraie éducation pour les filles. Moquée par beaucoup de contemporains, elle est aujourd'hui considérée comme une pionnière du féminisme. Elle meurt en 1797, peu après la naissance de sa fille, la future Mary Shelley, autrice de Frankenstein. Discours rapporté : She argued that... / She claimed that...

Mise en situation : le cours de littérature

Teacher : In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft published a book defending the rights of women. What was her main argument?
En 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft a publié un livre défendant les droits des femmes. Quel était son argument principal ?
Clara : She argued that women weren't naturally inferior. They simply didn't receive the same education as men.
Elle soutenait que les femmes n'étaient pas naturellement inférieures. Elles ne recevaient tout simplement pas la même éducation que les hommes.
Hugo : So she wanted girls to go to school?
Donc elle voulait que les filles aillent à l'école ?
Teacher : Exactly. She believed that women, like men, could use reason, and that society would benefit from it.
Exactement. Elle pensait que les femmes, comme les hommes, pouvaient faire usage de la raison, et que la société en profiterait.
Clara : Her ideas were really ahead of her time.
Ses idées étaient vraiment en avance sur son temps.
Teacher : Indeed. And her daughter, Mary Shelley, became a famous writer too: she wrote Frankenstein.
En effet. Et sa fille, Mary Shelley, est devenue une écrivaine célèbre elle aussi : elle a écrit Frankenstein.

À retenir

  • a philosopher, rights, equality, reason, education, society, a pioneer, feminism, a contemporary.
  • She argued / claimed / believed that... (discours rapporté, concordance des temps) ; ahead of her time ; would benefit ; like men.

Exercice 1 : Mary Wollstonecraft : exercice 1 (QCM)

  1. Son livre sur les droits de la femme date de...
    1. 1792
    2. 1692
    3. 1892
  2. « Elle soutenait que... »
    1. She argued that...
    2. She sustained that...
    3. She argued of that...
  3. Selon elle, l'infériorité des femmes venait...
    1. de leur nature
    2. de la religion uniquement
    3. du manque d'éducation
  4. « en avance sur son temps »
    1. in advance on her time
    2. ahead of her time
    3. before of her time
  5. Sa fille est l'autrice de...
    1. Frankenstein
    2. Dracula
    3. Jane Eyre
  6. « une pionnière du féminisme »
    1. a pioneering of feminist
    2. a pioneer of feminism
    3. a pioneer for feminist of
  7. « la raison »
    1. reason
    2. reasoning of
    3. raison
  8. Discours rapporté : « Women are not inferior » → She said that women...
    1. weren't inferior
    2. aren't inferior yesterday
    3. haven't been inferior
  9. « la société en profiterait »
    1. society would benefit
    2. the society would profit of
    3. society will benefited
  10. « comme les hommes »
    1. like men
    2. such men
    3. as men do of

Exercice 2 : Mary Wollstonecraft : exercice 2 (à compléter)

  1. She published a book defending the .......................... of women.
  2. She .......................... that women weren't inferior.
  3. They didn't receive the same .......................... as men.
  4. Women, like men, could use .......................... .
  5. Society would .......................... from it.
  6. Her ideas were ahead of her .......................... .
  7. She was a pioneer of .......................... .
  8. She wanted girls to .......................... to school.
  9. Her daughter .......................... a famous writer. (become)
  10. She .......................... in equality.

Exercice 3 : Mary Wollstonecraft : mise en situation

  1. Elle a publié un livre en 1792.
    1. She published a book in 1792.
    2. She publicated a book in 1792.
    3. She has published a book in 1792.
  2. Quel était son argument principal ?
    1. Which was her main argument of?
    2. What was her main argument?
    3. What her main argument was?
  3. Elle soutenait que les femmes n'étaient pas inférieures.
    1. She argued that women aren't inferiors.
    2. She argued that women weren't inferior.
    3. She argued women wasn't inferior.
  4. Elle voulait que les filles aillent à l'école.
    1. She wanted girls going to school.
    2. She wanted girls to go to school.
    3. She wanted that girls go to school.
  5. Elle pensait que les femmes pouvaient faire usage de la raison.
    1. She believed women could to use reason.
    2. She believed that women can used reason.
    3. She believed that women could use reason.
  6. La société en profiterait.
    1. Society would benefit from it.
    2. The society would benefit of it.
    3. Society will benefited from it.
  7. Ses idées étaient en avance sur son temps.
    1. His ideas were ahead of her time.
    2. Her ideas were ahead of her time.
    3. Her ideas were in advance of her time.
  8. Elle a été moquée par beaucoup de contemporains.
    1. She was mocked from many contemporaries.
    2. She was mocked by many contemporaries.
    3. She mocked by many contemporaries.
  9. Sa fille est devenue une écrivaine célèbre.
    1. Her daughter become a famous writer.
    2. His daughter became a famous writer.
    3. Her daughter became a famous writer.
  10. En effet.
    1. Indead.
    2. Indeed.
    3. In effect of.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. a) 1792 · 2. a) She argued that... · 3. c) du manque d'éducation · 4. b) ahead of her time · 5. a) Frankenstein · 6. b) a pioneer of feminism · 7. a) reason · 8. a) weren't inferior · 9. a) society would benefit · 10. a) like men

Exercice 2

1. rights · 2. argued · 3. education · 4. reason · 5. benefit · 6. time · 7. feminism · 8. go · 9. became · 10. believed

Exercice 3

1. a) She published a book in 1792. · 2. b) What was her main argument? · 3. b) She argued that women weren't inferior. · 4. b) She wanted girls to go to school. · 5. c) She believed that women could use reason. · 6. a) Society would benefit from it. · 7. b) Her ideas were ahead of her time. · 8. b) She was mocked by many contemporaries. · 9. c) Her daughter became a famous writer. · 10. b) Indeed.