The Subjection of Women

Why does Mill focus so much of his essay on marriage? What does he suggest is the relationship between marriage and women’s oppression broadly?

How does utilitarian thinking influence the kinds of arguments Mill offers in his essay?

Consider Mill’s idea of societal progress. Does he suggest that Britain is more “advanced” than other societies? How does the imperial context in which he wrote the essay shape his argumentation?

Mill consistently refers to slavery as comparable to women’s oppression in Victorian England. What similarities exist between the institution of slavery and 19th-century marriages? What differences exist? Given all of this, what role does the analogy play in Mill’s essay?

Mill mentions America as moving toward gender equality by ensuring women can keep their earnings rather than turn them over to their husbands. What is the significance of financial independence to Mill’s overall argument?

Consider Mill’s argument about the way socialization shapes women’s (and men’s) behavior. Extrapolating from this, where does Mill seem to land in the “nature versus nurture” debate?

Mill focuses his essay on upper-class white women because he is largely addressing those with the power to create social change. However, many women worked in factories during this era. Are Mill’s arguments relevant to working-class women and/or women of color? Why or why not?

What does Mill suggest is the relationship between happiness and societal progress?