A couple of definitions, from A Vindication of the Rights of Women (full text of the book available here):
Dependence: to act according to the will of another fallible being
A Protector: a husband to supply the place of reason
Reason: the simply power of improvement, of discerning truth
Patience, docility, good humour: virtues incompatible with any vigorous exertion of intellect
I like that last one best of all. Patience, docility and good humour aren't attributes commonly associated with me. Humph. The definition about dependence links back to an earlier post, where I quoted an extract from the Pursuit of Happiness. Sara asks 'Why should I entrust my happiness in someone else? (ie: a husband) Aren't they just as fallible as I am?' But the thing is, being dependent is actually quite comfortable. It's the opposite of freedom, which is mostly feared, I think.
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