Emma Goldman

Term Paper # 117070

Political Science
Women Studies > Feminism
Women Studies > Women and Society

Emma Goldman

A discussion on the life and achievements of Emma Goldman.

3,792 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper talks about Emma Goldman, known for her role in the anarchist political movement in North America in the early twentieth century. Describing Goldman as an anarchist who had a very personalized ideology of how the world should be run, the paper gives an account of the early life of Goldman and describes her early life in Russia where her revolutionary ideas begun to take root. The paper goes on to outline Goldman's life after her migration to the United States and brushes she had with the law due to her anarchist activities. The author discusses Goldman's views on feminism and notes in the conclusion that although Goldman was persecuted for her beliefs to the point where she was eventually deported from the United States, her contribution to the development of anarchism was important as was her feminist ideals in that era.

From the Paper:

"Emma Goldman was an anarchist who had a very personalized ideology of how society should be run. She believed that the only way in which a truly just society could exist would be if her ideologies were followed completely. This includes her view that women needed to get to the root of their repression, rather than just masking it with empty advancements in society. She supported the use of birth control and was in favor of a sexual revolution. While early in her career she was involved in some violent encounters, she did not believe that violence would solve the social injustices that are present in the world. She instead believed that peaceful means were the most effective manner by which to achieve a just society."

Sample of Sources Used:

Falk, Candace Serena. Love, Anarchy, and Emma Goldman. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. 1990.
Meltzer, Albert. Anarchism: Arguments For and Against. San Francisco: AK Press. 1981.
Zinn, Howard. Emma. Cambridge, MA: South End Press. 1986.