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The Making of a Feminist: Early Journals and Letters of M. Carey Thomas
Minor shelf wear, back cover. Otherwise pristine. 1979 Kent State University Press. Ships fast from NY.
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 3, 2026
Only six reviews? I am aghast! This was very well done and every person but especially women and young girls ought to read this. Yes, of course, some of it is a little dated, but their journal entries of the time period, what can you expect? I'll look for a physical copy to own, because I quite enjoyed this and read it on a whim using the Wayback Machine. I read this book in a couple hours. Possibly might add to this review later. 5 ⭐
April 14, 2019
Every woman should read this collection of letters and journal entries written by M. Carey Thomas, the second President and first female president of the prestigious women's college Bryn Mawr. Men should read it too, but I'm realistic in my expectations.
What did I love about this book?
--First, I am biased toward collections of letters and journal entries in the first place. There is a sense of immediacy and authenticity that comes from reading a person's own words. I wish the format would appear in fiction more often, too!
--It sketches the character of an incredibly driven, resolute young woman as she navigates the normal trials of youth while at the same time pursuing her goal of forcing open the world of higher education for women with all the intensity and determination of Joan of Arc. It was astounding to me how early in her life Carey felt that she had a responsibility and almost destiny to create a place for women in the traditional male realm of scholarship. This sense of destiny could, of course, also be the source of some of Carey's weaknesses: a tendency to bulldoze over the desires of others, a single-minded focus on her goal, a difficulty in understanding the lives of other women. Her views on marriage, child-bearing, and homosexuality were complex and evolved substantially over time. Her own mother, who she viewed as all that was beautiful and intelligent in the world, had ten children, a fact that surely influenced Carey's stance that marriage could not be undertaken without effectively destroying the intellectual life of the wife. I wonder how her views would have been different had she been born into an era of freely available birth control. At times, Carey opined that life would be so much simpler if women friends could form relationships similar to marriage, however later in her life she worried that the growing openness of homosexuality would make it more difficult for women to form the simple non-sexual relationships which she believed were essential to a woman's soul.
--Exposure to the day-to-day life of a young university girl in the late 1800s was absolutely fascinating. The views of the men around Carey were at times shocking to me, perhaps because I read so much fiction set in that era written by modern writers--men say sexist, misogynistic things in these novels, too, but at some level of my mind I frankly assumed that it was overstated for dramatic effect! It is not overstated for dramatic effect. Carey swore off male doctors--and went to extra trouble and expense to get a woman doctor--after one told her that all the studying would kill her because the intellectual strain would be too much for a woman's constitution! Interestingly, the older male administrators at many universities were convinced that women would pose too much of a "distraction" for the male students, while the male students themselves (at least by Carey's perception) seemed absolutely unconcerned, although at times they became confused as to whether they were supposed to hold doors for the female students or not (!). It is worth noting that Carey's parents were devout Quakers, a sect of Christianity which at that time was more egalitarian than other sects as well as society at large. Her family was also quite wealthy and influential in the Quaker Community--it is clear that Carey, even with all her intensity, resolve, and towering intellect, would likely not have achieved all she did without the substantial advantages her family was able to offer her, the headwind she faced would simply have been too stiff. In my opinion, when her aunt stated that if Carey did not do this for women, no one could, it was no more or less than the absolute truth. Only a woman of her brilliance, determination, AND personal advantages could have pried open a crack large enough for women with fewer advantages to follow her into the world she aspired to.
What did I love about this book?
--First, I am biased toward collections of letters and journal entries in the first place. There is a sense of immediacy and authenticity that comes from reading a person's own words. I wish the format would appear in fiction more often, too!
--It sketches the character of an incredibly driven, resolute young woman as she navigates the normal trials of youth while at the same time pursuing her goal of forcing open the world of higher education for women with all the intensity and determination of Joan of Arc. It was astounding to me how early in her life Carey felt that she had a responsibility and almost destiny to create a place for women in the traditional male realm of scholarship. This sense of destiny could, of course, also be the source of some of Carey's weaknesses: a tendency to bulldoze over the desires of others, a single-minded focus on her goal, a difficulty in understanding the lives of other women. Her views on marriage, child-bearing, and homosexuality were complex and evolved substantially over time. Her own mother, who she viewed as all that was beautiful and intelligent in the world, had ten children, a fact that surely influenced Carey's stance that marriage could not be undertaken without effectively destroying the intellectual life of the wife. I wonder how her views would have been different had she been born into an era of freely available birth control. At times, Carey opined that life would be so much simpler if women friends could form relationships similar to marriage, however later in her life she worried that the growing openness of homosexuality would make it more difficult for women to form the simple non-sexual relationships which she believed were essential to a woman's soul.
--Exposure to the day-to-day life of a young university girl in the late 1800s was absolutely fascinating. The views of the men around Carey were at times shocking to me, perhaps because I read so much fiction set in that era written by modern writers--men say sexist, misogynistic things in these novels, too, but at some level of my mind I frankly assumed that it was overstated for dramatic effect! It is not overstated for dramatic effect. Carey swore off male doctors--and went to extra trouble and expense to get a woman doctor--after one told her that all the studying would kill her because the intellectual strain would be too much for a woman's constitution! Interestingly, the older male administrators at many universities were convinced that women would pose too much of a "distraction" for the male students, while the male students themselves (at least by Carey's perception) seemed absolutely unconcerned, although at times they became confused as to whether they were supposed to hold doors for the female students or not (!). It is worth noting that Carey's parents were devout Quakers, a sect of Christianity which at that time was more egalitarian than other sects as well as society at large. Her family was also quite wealthy and influential in the Quaker Community--it is clear that Carey, even with all her intensity, resolve, and towering intellect, would likely not have achieved all she did without the substantial advantages her family was able to offer her, the headwind she faced would simply have been too stiff. In my opinion, when her aunt stated that if Carey did not do this for women, no one could, it was no more or less than the absolute truth. Only a woman of her brilliance, determination, AND personal advantages could have pried open a crack large enough for women with fewer advantages to follow her into the world she aspired to.
October 23, 2019
Dobkin did a really good of organizing Thomas's journals, which gives a wonderful personal view into M. Carey Thomas's life. Thomas started keeping a journal when she was a child and continued into her adult years. These journal entries, edited by Dobkin follow Thomas from her younger years until just after she received her Ph.D. in Europe which was a major accomplishment for Thomas and for future women.
If you are interested in women's history and feminism, I would highly recommend putting this book on your reading list.
If you are interested in women's history and feminism, I would highly recommend putting this book on your reading list.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews