"No Woman is the Worse for Sense and Knowledge": Samuel Johnson and Women

Abstract

Accurate understanding of Samuel Johnson's treatment of women depends on the range of primary and secondary texts one has read. Images of Samuel Johnson have been largely misguided; stereotypes of Samuel Johnson as having a negative attitude toward women persist. A chief architect of Samuel Johnson's chauvinist image, James Boswell succeeded exceedingly well in his widely read Life of Johnson in depicting a manly portrait of his friend and mentor Samuel Johnson. Investigate Johnson's writings further, however, both professional and personal, and it becomes clear that Johnson actually supported erudition and education among women.