Ms Independence
After reading excerpts from The Book of the City of Ladies, it is easy to see why scholars view Christine de Pizan as the originator of the feminist movement. In this work Pizan gives examples of women leading noble lives and contributing to society in the roles traditionally done by men. There is also a didactic exchange in the book; Reason, Rectitude, and Justice discuss the idea of women being educated the same as men and wonder why men feel women should not be educated. Discussions continue on the topics of rape as a crime, women being natural learners, and women's talent for government. This is radical thinking for the 15th century.The question of whether to educate women carried on for hundreds of years and was still being questioned in the Victorian Age. One can see a society similar to The City of Ladies in Tennyson's, The Princess. The princess of the title has been betrothed to a prince but chooses not to marry him and sets up a university for women only, where no males are allowed within the walled community. This poem was not well received by the Victorians and Tennyson chose not to defend it and one of his friends notes: "He talked of The Princess with something of regret, of its fine blank verse, and the many good things in it: 'but,' said he, 'though truly original, it is, after all, only a medley'." One may argue the "truly original" part since there are echoes of Christine de Pizan to be found throughout. It is truly unfortunate Tennyson did not defend his work as in the 1840s, he is reported as saying: The two great social questions impending in England were 'the education of the poor man before making him our master, and the higher education of women'." He may not have defended his work but one must give him credit for exploring some of the injustices women suffered.
posted by Lucy @ 2:10 PM
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