Mary Wortley Montagu - April 23, 2019

Mary Wortley Montagu was a woman who went against gender standards in her time in the eighteenth century. Montagu was one who was passionate about education, medicine, and representing women in a non-stereotypical manner. In addition, she was a woman who travelled all over the world and learned about different countries and their cultures compared to that of England. In one such excerpts from letters she had written about the Turkish Embassy, Montagu illustrates the social differences between women in two vastly opposing cultures. One particular place that Montagu visited while in Turkey was a beautiful town called Sophia. She speaks of the many hot springs and baths that she visits in this town and how remarkable they are, but what was most remarkable was how these native women treated Montagu when she came to enjoy the springs one day. She talked about how they welcomed her without hesitation, “Yet there was not one of them that showed the least surprise or impertinent curiosity, but received me with all the obliging civility possible. I know no European court where the ladies would have behaved themselves in so polite a manner to such a stranger.” (1271). Montagu was quite focused on representing women as they are and this is illustrated by this passage that discusses the startling kindness of those Turkish women. Montagu utilizes this experience to advocate for proper representation of women in different cultures. This kindness is again mentioned by Montagu telling of how those women showed no judgement to others based on their size or shape, “I perceived that the ladies of the most delicate skins and finest shapes had the greatest share of admiration, though their faces were sometimes less beautiful than those of their companions.” (1271). Unlike English society, those Turkish women showed respect for all types of beauty and did not speak ill of one another. There was overall a feeling of awe from Montagu of these women and how easy it seemed for them to be civil, “I was charmed with their civility and beauty and should have been very glad to pass more time with them…” (1272). Overall, Montagu illustrates the prejudice that can be associated with females in her time and how she herself even had some ideas of what those Turkish women would be like but was pleasantly surprised to find out that prejudices can be broken which was an ideology Montagu was keen on supporting.