John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill is the author of The Subjection of Women. Mill was a 19th-century British philosopher, economist, and political theorist. One of the most important figures in the history of classical liberal thought…
read analysis of John Stuart Mill
Harriet Taylor Mill
Harriet Taylor Mill was John Stuart Mill’s wife and the coauthor of many of his most important works, including On Liberty and (at least to some extent) The Subjection of Women. Harriet published…
read analysis of Harriet Taylor Mill
Minor Characters
Helen Taylor
Helen Taylor was Harriet Taylor Mill’s daughter and John Stuart Mill’s stepdaughter, although Mills refers to her simply as his daughter. Like her parents, Helen was a passionate campaigner for women’s rights. John Stuart Mill credits her as influencing the composition of The Subjection of Women.
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I was the Tudor queen of England and Ireland from 1558–1603. She was renowned as a fiercely intelligent, independent, and powerful ruler; Mill cites her as an example of women’s leadership capabilities.
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was a 15th-century French peasant who fought against the English in the Hundred Years’ War before being captured and executed at 19 years old. Mill cites her as another example of a woman who became famous for her extraordinary abilities.
