Hellen Nellie Mcclung: A Canadian Feminist :: essays research papers fc

Hellen Nellie McClung A Canadian Feminist     Helen "Nellie" Laetitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 in a log cabinon Garafraxa Road, two kilometers from Chatsworth, Ontario. She and her familymoved to Manitoba when she was six years old.     One of Nellies best influences was her mother. Her familys influencewas no doubt the reason she became an activist. Her mother thought that every baby bird had the right to an education, and her intact family encouraged her to assure all she could. (9, Wright) Nellie at age ten, went to school atNorthfield School. This is where her education started.     Nellies dream was to be a teacher like her sister Hannah. Teaching wasone of the hardly a(prenominal) jobs open to women. She started her voyage at age fifteen bypassing the Second Class Teachers Examination. She went on to earn a higherteaching certificate at Winnipeg Collegiate in 1893. She went on to teach atHazel Public School near Manitou, Manitoba.     We study Nellie McClung because she was an internationally celebratedfeminist and social activist. Her triumph as a platform speaker was legendary.Her earliest success was achieved as a writer, and during her lengthy career sheauthored four novels, two novellas, three collections of short stories, a two-volume autobiography and various collections of speeches, articles and wartimewriting, to a total of sixteen volumes. Two of her most famous books areClearing In The West and The Stream Runs Fast. each this served as a "pulpit"from which McClung could preach her gospel of feminist activism and socialtransformation. She was convinced that Gods intention for creation was a "FairDeal" for everyone and that Canada, particularly the prairie West, was aperfect place to begin to bring that about. Womens suffrage, temperance andthe ordination of women were keystones in the battle - engaged. In contrast tocontemporary s tereotypes, with a wit and compelling sense of humor that won over enemiesas it delighted her allies.     Nellie was a curious girl, she was incessantly asking questions. This wasnot commonly seen among girls in her time. As a small child she would want toparticipate in sports with the boys, although she was always told she wasntallowed. "I was hoping there would be a race for girls under ten, or that girlsmight enter with the boys. But the whole question of girls competing in raceswas frowned on. Skirts would fly upward and legs would show And it was notnice for little girls, or big ones either, to show their legs."(2, Wright)     As many great philosophers do, Nellie would always ask Why?