Source Evaluation
This article is basically a biography of Lydia Mary Fay. It also contains a section of significant information highlighted as noteworthy. Though brief, the author describes the most important aspects of Mary Fay’s life and work.
Summary
Mary Fay was born in 1804 in Bennington, Vermont, U.S.A, and died in October 1878 in Chefoo (today Yantai), Shandong Province, North China. Her life story demonstrates people who lived for a purpose, as narrated by Welch. She spent her early life in Albany, New York. Her education and wide reading gave her a Eurocentric literary worldview. She described her life as a path of loneliness and lowliness of service. She focused her attentions on her students and she seemed not to have close friendship with other women missionaries. Teaching was her life and her delight. Mary Fay arrived in Shanghai in early 1851 after working as a governess and as a principal in Midway Female Academy in Virginia.
At the Boys’ Boarding School - established by Bishop William Jones Boone, the first Episcopalian bishop in China - Mary Fay’s duties stretched beyond the classroom responsibilities. She was on duty around the clock. She undertook the domestic duties of the boarding school with efficiency. She had exceptional skills in translating Chinese written texts and could systematically teach Chinese language skills at St John’s University. Mary Fay was a key figure in the Episcopal Boys’ Boarding School. She indignantly resigned from the school in 1860 after a decade of service when the bishop transferred the duties of superintendent to a new and inexperienced male teacher. She then worked with the English Church Missionary Society and took with her the students from the Boys’ Boarding School to a school sponsored by the Missionary Society. She later returned with her “boys” and demonstrated exemplary leadership.
Rhetorical situation
This includes the purpose, the audience, and the occasion. The purpose of this article is the devotion of Mary Fay to her students. It also shows the position of women and the reordering of gender outlooks in the 19th century as women took active roles, formerly a preserve of men. The audience consists of all the readers of the article. This includes you and I. Anybody with access to the article and can read it, forms the audience. The occasion of this scenario is the attitude of people towards their life and work, and the gender roles.
Evaluation of the validity of the argument
Two main arguments are presented in this article. The first argument is about living for a purpose. As highlighted, Mary Fay lived for a purpose and she was fully devoted to it. Her devotion bore fruits and resulted into excellence. This argument is valid. The other argument is that, women can do what is believed to be men’s preserve, and equally excel or perform even better. The argument is also valid considering Mary Fay’s life.
How the article is useful
The article teaches people to have purpose for living and be committed to that purpose. It also teaches that women should not be discriminated on grounds of gender.
Work Cited
Welch, Ian. “Lydia Mary Fay and the Episcopal Church Mission in China.” International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 36–1(2012): 33-37.
