but the woman was first in the transgression

[gil12345]

Hi there,

"And first, to begin with our great progenitors; but here, suffer me to premise, that it is for mental strength I mean to contend, for with respect to animal powers, I yield them undisputed to that sex, which enjoys them in common with the lion, the tyger, and many other beasts of prey; therefore your observations respecting the rib under the arm, at a distance from the head, &c.&c. in no sort militate against my view. Well, but the woman was first in the transgression. Strange how blind self love renders you men; were you not wholly absorbed in a partial admiration of your own abilities, you would long since have acknowledged the force of what I am now going to urge."

On the Equality of the Sexes. (1790, Judith Sargent Murray)

For the underlined sentence, it seems that it was men's charge against women that it was women who first committed sin (quoted here by Murray.)
Am I correct? (If so, why didn't she use quotation mark? Is it because quotation marks were not used at the time?)

Thanks

Gil

 

[bennymix]

You understand it. What text do you think needs quotation marks, according to present-day practice?

"[Woman was] first in transgression" is a phrase stated/quoted many times through the ages. Not sure of its biblical source (Paul?). Seems NOT to be an exact quote from KJV Bible.

1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

 

[gil12345]

You understand it. What text do you think needs quotation marks, according to present-day practice?

"[Woman was] first in transgression" is a phrase stated/quoted many times through the ages. Not sure of its biblical source (Paul?).

I didn't know which is present-day practice and which is not. Nor did I know that the widely stated phrase. But thanks.

 

[bennymix]

What part of the original text you quoted do you think needs quotation marks?

 

[gil12345]

What part of the original text you quoted do you think needs quotation marks?

but they said, "the woman was first in the transgression."

 

[bennymix]

but they said, "the woman was first in the transgression."

She does not generally name her opponents but many male bible commentators and theologians said this. As I said above, it's a kind of re working of Timothy.

 

[Egmont]

but they said, "the woman was first in the transgression."

That is the content of what was said, but it is not the words in which it was said. Therefore, it does not require quotation marks. They should be used only when quoting someone's words.

Cross-posted.

 

[gil12345]

That is the content of what was said, but it is not the words in which it was said. Therefore, it does not require quotation marks. They should be used only when quoting someone's words.

Cross-posted.

This is like the paraphrase, or indirect remark.

 

[bennymix]

It's as Egmont says; I remind readers of the original.

therefore your observations respecting the rib under the arm, at a distance from the head, &c.&c. in no sort militate against my view. Well, but //the woman was first in the transgression.// Strange how blind self love renders you men;

The phrase //xxxx// is close to that in Timothy, as I've said. It's more an explication than a paraphrase.

 

[gil12345]

It's as Egmont says, I remind readers of the original.

therefore your observations respecting the rib under the arm, at a distance from the head, &c.&c. in no sort militate against my view. Well, but the woman was first in the transgression. Strange how blind self love renders you men;

So do you mean this part is the same as "rib under the arm, at a distance from the head, &c.&c"? Yet it is not as italicized.

 

[bennymix]

I think we've exhausted this topic.

 

[velisarius]

Agreeing with previous posters,

And first, to begin with our great progenitors - she is stating her first argument.

Well, but the woman was first in the transgression. - having demolished that first argument, she is imagining the retort of the person she is writing to, and she goes on to discuss it. She is probably not quoting verbatim from a previous letter, as she seems to have done with rib under the arm, at a distance from the head, which are given in italics.