Which describes how the word vindication in the title of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman reflects her purpose for writing?

a.

Vindication means “placing blame”; Wollstonecraft wishes to criticize men for holding women back.

b.

Vindication means “justification”; Wollstonecraft is justifying why women should have equal rights.

c.

Vindication means “the state of being spiteful or critical”; Wollstonecraft is venting her frustration over the state of women’s education.

d.

Vindication means “reasoned and well thought out”; Wollstonecraft wishes to explain a long history of poor treatment of women.

The word vindication literally means "to justify, claim or demand restitution of something that belongs to you." With this we can be sure that when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote "The Vindication of the Rights of Woman" she had the purpose of justifying and demanding that women have equal rights.

In 1792, inspired by the conquest of human rights in revolutionary France, Mary Wollstonecraft proclaimed loud and clear that it was up to women to take the reins of their destiny and break the chains of submission and ignorance that bound them. Through "The Vindication of the Rights of Woman" Mary Wollstonecraft set up a brave fight with a conservative morality that condemned half women to the decorative role of the man's docile companion. Mary defends access to education and work as a condition of female emancipation, and the idea that without freedom there are no social duties to fulfill.