The institutional affiliation
Marie Curie: Being a physicist and a chemist, I discovered the elements polonium and radium. It brought me two Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry; thus, on my own example, I proved that women can be great scientists.
I was born in Warsaw, Poland and was the youngest of three older sisters and a brother. Both of my parents were educators and insisted that my sisters and I, as well as my brothers, get a school education. I managed to graduate from high school first in my group at the age of 15. Even though, I intended to attend college, the University of Warsaw refused to accept women, so I had to study on my own. However, when my sister, Bronya, offered me lodgings in Paris with a chance to go to the Sorbonne University, I grasped the opportunity and moved to France (Rockwell, 2003).
Jane Austin: I am an English novelist who wrote romantic fiction combined with social realism. I was born in a little village in north-east Hampshire and was the seventh child and the second daughter of my parents. I had a chance to get an education in Oxford along with my sister Cassandra; however, because of some health problems I had to finish my studies at home. When I brought Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice to the publishing house, they refused to print it saying the plot was dull. Nevertheless, I guess they were just surprised that such a smart book could have been written by a woman. So, as it was done often by female writers of my time, my works were published anonymously (Swords, 1988).
Marie Curie: In the 19th century female scientists were seen as quite rare birds. A woman’s play was near her husband and children. After all, how could a woman combine the duties of a wife, a mother and a scientist? She could possibly come from a family of low social status. Otherwise, there could not be any other reason for her to work. Moreover, the secondary education was too expensive, so only few boys and even fewer girls could attend high school. It was even harder to enter the university: it is good that France was more open in its views than Poland of that time (Sheffeld, 2004).
Jane Austin: How can I describe a woman’s legal place? Certainly, it was very low, indeed: with just few rights women were victims of patriarchy in the society subordinating first to their fathers and, then, to their husbands who were selected by their parents in most of the cases. Marriage was mainly seen as the only real chance to get economic security and respectable life; the woman’s place was determined by her status as a wife, legally and subordinated to her husband. In my novels the marriage was often described as the only choice to insure the woman’s happiness and successful future. Nevertheless, I did not try to portray a perfect woman, but the main character should always be well-mannered and intelligent having her own opinion on every subject matter (Sheffeld, 2004).
Marie Curie: I never let the rejection stop me from learning, what helped me to become the first female professor at the University of Paris, proving that there is also a place for women in the education field. However, I constantly had to deal with the typical male and female role stereotypes that pursued me throughout my lifetime. During the 1800s and early 1900s, each woman was expected to stay home and care for her house and children, but I chose a different path.
Jane Austin: In my works I always tried to represent the issue of the “woman’s place” realistically: no matter with sympathy and approval, with satire or criticism, but never with didacticism. My novels tell the distinctive stories of individual young women, who leave a choice for themselves whether to marry for love or for social standing or money.
In fact, I try not to discriminate between characters on the grounds of gender. Men or women, we all can be fools sometimes regardless of our sex. In fact, my books are not read only by women, but by men as well, who often praised me for my rationality.
Marie Curie: I am delighted to see that women of the 21st century have much more rights and power than before. They can vote, attain higher education without any obstacles, build a career and get a fair salary. Women can choose between family and career or just balance between both of them successfully.
The main difference between the early 19th and modern time is really the opportunity to choose a woman’s own way what to do in life.
Jane Austin: I totally agree, my characters could only hope for a happy marriage with a beloved person, but this problem does not exist today anymore. Every woman can choose whom to marry or whether she needs it at all. Of course, marriage still brings financial benefits when it comes to the healthcare and real estate property. Nevertheless, in the 21st century marriage is optional, not mandatory: surely there are many singletons whose luxury lives are more likely to cause envy than pity.
I cannot say that I totally support feminism ideas, but there is one thing I am sure with is that both men and women deserve an equally respectful treatment. That is why I gave my characters that much energy and spirit that they are sometimes even more than equal to men.
Marie Curie: With my own example I demonstrated that women no longer should feel as though they are held back by social prejudices; and today they have all the confidence to go out and follow their ambitions just like I did. I am more than just delighted to know that the number of female scientists is relatively close to the number of male ones. It means that the society changes and tends to plurality of views and ideas.
Jane Austin: In my times, feministic views could not be spoken up that easily, as it can be done nowadays. But still I had to follow feminism principles in action just to be a feminist in print. Otherwise, my novels would have never been accepted by the publishing house and by that day society.
Marie Curie: The basis of my feminist views was hiding just inside of my appreciation of science. Now it seems there was nothing that could possibly stop me on my way to the education degree and scientific researches I was eager to conduct. The women of the 21st century added a “so-called” third dimension to the whole scientific enterprise which was dominated by men for centuries.
References
Rockwell, S. (2003). Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine: “The life and legacy of Marie Curie”. Retrieved May 13, 2016 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2582731/pdf/yjbm00205-0023.pdf2.
Sheffield, S. (2004). Women and science. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
Swords, B.,W. (1988). “Woman’s place in Jane Austin’s England”. Retrieved May 13, 2016 from http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number10/swords.htm
