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caris96's review against another edition
5.0
“The defenders of authority dread the advent of a free motherhood, lest it will rob them of their prey. Who would fight wars, who would create wealth? Who would make the policeman, the jailer, if woman were to refuse the indiscriminate breeding of children? The race, the race! shouts the king, the president, the capitalist, the priest. The race must be preserved, though woman be degraded to a mere machine—and the marriage institution is our only safety valve against the pernicious sex-awakening of woman” (65).
What a fierce woman. I’d say she’s a Queen, but she was an anarchist so she would have rejected that praise. What I love about this collection is how Goldman’s writing evolves (and improves) over the years. You can see her become a better writer but never lessening her passion, and remaining admirably consistent in her anti-authoritarianism across discussions. Through them all, Goldman reminds us never to lose sight of the anarchist foundation of women’s emancipation. Stand-out essays were “Marriage and Love,” “The Victims of Morality,” and a beautiful tribute to Mary Wollstonecraft—also an idol of mine. I’d say this book is less of an exhaustive case for anarcha-feminism to the unconvinced and more of a plea to get those already on board fired up with passion to participate in the struggle.
What a fierce woman. I’d say she’s a Queen, but she was an anarchist so she would have rejected that praise. What I love about this collection is how Goldman’s writing evolves (and improves) over the years. You can see her become a better writer but never lessening her passion, and remaining admirably consistent in her anti-authoritarianism across discussions. Through them all, Goldman reminds us never to lose sight of the anarchist foundation of women’s emancipation. Stand-out essays were “Marriage and Love,” “The Victims of Morality,” and a beautiful tribute to Mary Wollstonecraft—also an idol of mine. I’d say this book is less of an exhaustive case for anarcha-feminism to the unconvinced and more of a plea to get those already on board fired up with passion to participate in the struggle.
sarahmac314's review against another edition
4.0
You definitely don't have to be an anarchist to appreciate these essays (I'm not). Things are much better for women now than they were then, but it's sad that some of the issues Goldman writes about are still relevant 100 years later. Lots of food for thought and a good history lesson.
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