I love a good feminist read, and I can say for certain that Christine De Pizan is my favorite Rhetorician so far. Christine said, "Here you can clearly see that not all opinions of men are based on reason and that these men are wrong" (544). This reading was a debate on whether or not women should be educated. The opposing side thought that if women became educated their morals would be corrupted, but Christine gave supporting evidence that this would to be the case and that by educating women there was an opportunity for them to assist men further. Her examples of Novella and Hortensia were two daughters of two brilliant men. Their fathers taught them and soon the girls were as smart as their fathers, and Novella even presented lectures for law students when her father couldn't. Although, to keep her beauty from distracting the students a curtain was used to block her from view. I enjoyed reading this article because it is interesting to see how the argument for this basic right was used. Women had to fight tooth and nail to get to where we are today, and it all started with people like Christine De Pizan fighting for women's rights to education.
Thanks for pointing out that Christine gave "supporting evidence" for the education of women. I didn't think of it in that perspective. To me, she was telling stories that proved her point. Splitting hairs, but perspective does matter here.
ReplyDeleteWhen Christine described Hortensia and her father's intellect, she wrote, "he surpassed her in nothing" (545). That statement blew my mind and can be the true representation of the feminist movement. Men surpass women in nothing. Women can do anything a man can. Anything. I think I'll make a poster for my daughters' bedroom so the idea will burn into their psyche: He surpassed her in NOTHING.
And, considering the time period of Christine, what gutsy statements she made: "I am amazed by the opinion of some men who claim that they do not want their daughters, wives, or kinswomen to be educated" (544). If she had not been from the privileged class, she would have been hanged!
#girlsrock
#hesurpassedherinnothing