Marie Curie: Feminist of Yesterday?
I was having too many computer problems to post last night, but since I've already written about Denise Levertov I thought I'd write about Marie Curie today.
 | "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." |
Marie Curie didn't identify as a feminist, she never organised as a feminist. She focused her life on chemistry, and poisoning herself. She was a brilliant chemist, won the Nobel Prize twice, I'm not disputing any of that. I just don't think that makes her a feminist.
Feminism is a necessary prerequisite for individual women to 'achieve', but that achievement is an effect, not the goal, of the feminist struggle. To quote Barbara Ehrenreich in a slightly:
Feminism is not a particular lifestyle, defined by having your own job and checking account, for example. It is a moral stance and one that has always valued the stay-at-home mothers just as much as the corporate strivers.There's nothing wrong with being a Nobel-prize winning chemist, but its no more feminist than looking after your children.
Conclusion: Nothing against her, but not a feminist.
