Florence Nightingale. Cassandra: an essay. 1979.

摘要

Why have women passion, intellect, moral activity-these 3-and a place in society where no one of the 3 can be exercised? Men say that God punishes for complaining. No, but men are angry with misery. They are irritated with women for not being happy.... "Suffering, sad" female "humanity!" What are these feelings which they are taught to consider as disgraceful, to deny to themselves? What form do the Chinese feet assume when denied their proper development? If the young girls of the "higher classes," who never commit a false step, whose justly earned reputations were never sullied even by the stain which the fruit of mere "knowledge of good and evil" leaves behind, were to speak, and say what are their thoughts employed upon, their thoughts, which alone are free, what would they say? ... When shall we see a life full of steady enthusiasm, walking straight to its aim, flying home, as that bird is now, against the wind-with the calmness and the confidence of one who knows the laws of God and can apply them?...