Fuhrer: Fuller or Alcott? Who was the bigger ball breaker?

To answer this question one must first consider what the definition of the word feminist truly means. As my dictionary informs me it is this: “ A person who supports feminism.” (Thank you Webster for once again proving yourself valuable in absolutely nothing but collecting dust) So then I decided to look up feminism and this is what I got:

“The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men”

Therefore if one goes by this definition of what a “feminist” is then it seems Margret Fuller who wrote “The great Law suit” wins out over Louis May Alcott and her novella “Behind the Mask”.

You would be mistaken however in believing that I as a reader favored Fuller’s essay on the equalities of genders over that of Alcott’s work, in fact I do not. I enjoyed the refreshing change of a female anti-hero figure that doesn’t have to pay for her less than virtuous actions and it pains me to write it but in the end Alcott’s main character Jean is bad.

Not a bad woman, not a bad man and definitely not a bad character but just plain bad. Her road to success rests on the misery of all those around her and as unsympathetic as they may be, society (as does Feminism) dictates the equal treatment of all those who reside within its constraint, no matter how loathsome they are.

Neither should it matter that Jean belongs to that gender that for the good part of forever have been relegated to the status of wife/ mother/sex toy. Her actions would seem down right sociopathic if she was a man so why should she get special treatment because she is a woman? Doesn’t that completely undermine the very point of feminism? Not to mention enforce the stereotype that a woman can only hope to achieve anything if she is a. beautiful and b. smart enough to land herself a man.

So, say what you will about Margret Fuller’s essay. Its long and yes slightly boring but her desire for equality and harmony between the genders doesn’t call for one gender trying to dominate over the other. She just wants people (regardless of their gender) to be content and proud of what they are but not at the expense of their counterpart. Is that so bad?