The Power of Sympathy
The Power of Sympathy
The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown is a narrative to teach young
ladies about the importance of education, the fatal consequences of seduction, and the
proper instruction women should have. This narrative was written to scare women away
from wayward love and more towards rational love. It gives us insight to the heartache of
women who fell for wayward love and their consequences. Brown uses education,
seduction, and the proper instruction for women as a way to make women more educated
on seduction. This is so women won't fall for seduction or be the seducer themselves.
Education is used throughout the narrative. Women need an education, and by
being virtuous and religious these are the main foundations of a proper education. This
novel wants to educate women on seduction and how easily seduced, without question,
women are about their lovers. When women receive an education it is teaching them to
be self sufficient and rational. By being self sufficient women won't follow other
people's ideas, but their own. Mrs. Holmes talks about the importance of women
knowing them self " to impress the minds of females with a principle of self
correction; for among all kinds of knowledge which arises from reading, the duty of self
knowledge is very eminent one; and is at the same time, the most useful and
important"(27). The opinions that women entertain about themselves is an important part
of what seduction wants to teach. If women have a high self worth they are less likely
not to think of seduction and fall for it. The importance of women receiving an
education is so when presented with seduction, and wayward love women deal with it
rationally and think about the effects that it will have on themselves. Without an
education women will be led astray into harmful relationships, often ending in disaster.
With an education women learn about morals and the way
The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown is a narrative to teach young
ladies about the importance of education, the fatal consequences of seduction, and the
proper instruction women should have. This narrative was written to scare women away
from wayward love and more towards rational love. It gives us insight to the heartache of
women who fell for wayward love and their consequences. Brown uses education,
seduction, and the proper instruction for women as a way to make women more educated
on seduction. This is so women won't fall for seduction or be the seducer themselves.
Education is used throughout the narrative. Women need an education, and by
being virtuous and religious these are the main foundations of a proper education. This
novel wants to educate women on seduction and how easily seduced, without question,
women are about their lovers. When women receive an education it is teaching them to
be self sufficient and rational. By being self sufficient women won't follow other
people's ideas, but their own. Mrs. Holmes talks about the importance of women
knowing them self " to impress the minds of females with a principle of self
correction; for among all kinds of knowledge which arises from reading, the duty of self
knowledge is very eminent one; and is at the same time, the most useful and
important"(27). The opinions that women entertain about themselves is an important part
of what seduction wants to teach. If women have a high self worth they are less likely
not to think of seduction and fall for it. The importance of women receiving an
education is so when presented with seduction, and wayward love women deal with it
rationally and think about the effects that it will have on themselves. Without an
education women will be led astray into harmful relationships, often ending in disaster.
With an education women learn about morals and the way