According to Karen Offen, most nineteenth-century feminists argued that "women, as the peace-loving sex, had specific qualities and talents from which the entire society could benefit . . . " (333). In other words, feminists advocated for greater civil and civic autonomy for women based on women's essential differences from men rather than their essential sameness. In what ways does this limit the chances of their cause succeeding yet at the same time aid feminists in pushing for greater control over their own lives? Put another way, are claims based on traditional notions of womanhood ultimately self-defeating or pragmatic calculations given the cultural realities of the 19th century?