An unidentified draughtswoman works on a drawing of a 25-pounder gun in 1942. Fitch’s point was not that women should be enticed or pushed into roles they do not relish, simply to achieve statistical equivalence – it was far more radical and genuinely egalitarian than that. His point was that each and every woman should be left free to pursue whatever she herself finds fulfilling.
Introduction
Sir Joshua Fitch (1824-1903) was a leading Victorian educator who played a decisive role in promoting the education of girls on equal terms to boys. He did not believe, however, in making girls do as boys do. He believed that if boys can do as they please, so can girls, and that no one should dictate what that should be.
THE world is made poorer by every restriction whether imposed by authority or only conventionally prescribed by our social usages which hampers the free choice of women in relation to their careers, their studies, or their aims in life. Hitherto every step which has been taken in opening out new forms of active work and increased influence to women has been a clear gain to society, and has added much to the happiness of women themselves.
It is, therefore, not merely the chivalry, or even the sense of justice, but also the enlightened self-interest of man, that are concerned in the solution of this problem. It is not his duty to urge women in the direction of employments they feel to be uncongenial to them; but it is his duty to remove as far as possible all impediments and disqualifications which yet remain in restraint of their own discretion, to leave the choice of careers as open to them as it is to himself and to wait and see what comes of it. Nothing but good can come of it.
Abridged
Abridged from ‘Sir Joshua Fitch: An Account of his Life and Work’ (1906), by A. L. Lilley.
Six Questions for Critics
1. What has the author tried to do?
2. How has he fulfilled his intention?
3. What is he striving to express?
4. How has he expressed it?
5. What impression does his work make on me?
6. How can I best express this impression?
From The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Discretion. Duty. Wait.
2 Employment. Free. Man.
3 Clear. Not. See.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Career. 2 Concern. 3 Leave. 4 Wait. 5 Form. 6 Study. 7 Increase. 8 Can. 9 Step.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Relation. 2. Woman. 3. Duty. 4. Step. 5. Make. 6. Leave. 7. Gain. 8. Form. 9. Sense.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
drs (8+4)
adores. dairies. dares. dears. diaries. doers. doors. dries.
dearies. dories. odorous. odours.
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