FREE ESSAY ON CHRISTINE DE PIZAN

CHRISTINE DE PIZAN

Christine de Pizan
An unlikely candidate to dispute the unfair, misogynistic treatment of women by men and
society, Christine de Pizan successfully challenged the accepted negative views that were
being expressed about women by the all-male literary world of her era. Part of
Christine's uniqueness stems from the time in which she lived, the middle to late 1300's.
The lack of a positive female role model to pattern herself after made Christine a true
visionary in the fight for the equal rights of women. Her original ideas and insight
provided a new and more intelligent way to view females. Pizan's work, The Book of the
City of Ladies, provided women much needed guidance in how to survive without the support
of a man.
Born in Venice around 1364, Christine was the first professional woman writer in Europe.
Her father, Thomas of Pizan, was a famous astrologer and physician who took Christine as
an infant to France. His fame as an astrologer allowed him to be appointed to the court
of the French King Charles V (Kosinski xi). 
Depending on her father for the majority of her education, Christine's great love as a
child was learning; however, Christine's mother felt that educating Christine was
inappropriate, which led to a premature halt in her instruction. (Kosinski xi).
Christine's accomplishments and her mothers views that "ladies should not be educated"
(Kosinski xi) show the contrast between mother and daughter. Although she is said to have
described her education as "nothing but picking up the crumbs of learning that fell from
her father's table" (Kosinski 299), Christine's writing is filled with allusions to
"classical authors, church fathers, poets, and historical writers" - -revealing intellect
greater than table scraps (Kosinski 299). 
At the age of fifteen, Christine married Etienne de Castel, a notary and secretary of the
royal court (Kosinski xi). Just as her writing reflected her uniqueness, so did her
marriage which was evidently a "love match," something remarkable in the medieval days of
arranged marriages (Kosinski xi). Christine spoke of a loving relationship by describing
her marriage to Etienne as, "a sweet thing" and her husband as "kind and considerate" on
their wedding night (Kosinski xi ).
Christine's family relied on the charity of Charles V for their livelihood; therefore,
his death in 1380 proved detrimental to Christine and her family. The successor to the
throne, King Charles VI, was not as generous toward the Pizan family, and both
Christine's father and husband lost most of their pay. Between 1384 and 1389, Thomas de
Pizan died leaving little inheritance for his young daughter (Kosinski xi). Christine was
left to depend entirely on her husband for financial security. Christine and her husband
would have three children together before his death due to a 1389 epidemic (Leon 214).
At the age of 25, Christine was a widow with three small children and her mother to
support (Kosinski xii). Christine describes this period of her life as a time when she
was "forced to become a man," as she began to seek out patrons for her writing (Kosinski
xii). Although Christine was obviously a brilliant and talented writer, necessity was her
true inspiration, as she literally had to write in order to feed her family.
Christine's first literary endeavors were the highly demanded love poems of the 14th
century, as well as devotional texts that emphasized her strong Christian faith (Kosinski
xii). However, it is Christine's literary work The Book of the City of Ladies, that is
most intriguing to contemporary readers. Christine was the first woman writer to possess
the ability to identify and address the issues of misogyny in the literature of her time,
as well as society (Kosinski xii). This characteristic made her a champion of the
feminist movement that was yet to come. Although Christine never addressed the issue of
"changing the structures of her society" (Kosinski xiii), her ability to identify
misogyny during a time when it was a normal aspect of women's lives, reveals the insight
of the young woman. 
The beginning scene of The Book of the City of Ladies describes Christine looking at a
book by Matheolus:
When I held it open and saw from its title that it was by Matheolus, I smiled, for though
I had never seen it before, I had often heard that like other books it discussed respect
for women. (de Pizan 3)
Christine's belief in intellectual equality is found in the theme of this story with a
young lady reading for pleasure. 14th century women were rarely literate. Choosing
reading as a pleasurable activity would have been uncommon. What Christine discovers upon
reading this text is just the opposite of her expectations. She realizes that Matheolus
is not respectful toward women, but just the opposite. His work represents women as
"devilish and wicked." However, she uses her wit to describe her displeasure in the
text:
Because the subject seemed to me not very pleasant for people who do not enjoy lies, and
of no use in developing virtue or manners, given its lack of integrity in diction and
theme, and after browsing here and there and reading the end, I put it down in order to
turn my attention to more elevated and useful study. (de Pizan 3)
Christine's remarks here criticize the subject of Matheolus text, and also his choice in
diction. Her comments not only let the reader know that she is displeased with this piece
of literature, but that she feels that reading it is neither elevating nor useful. Thus,
she insinuates the futility of the work itself. 
Christine cleverly goes on to comment on the subject of the character of women by
flattering her male contemporaries. She writes:
…it would be impossible that so many famous men--such solemn scholars, possessed of
such deep and great understanding, so clear-sighted in all things, as it seemed--could
have spoken falsely on so many occasions…. (de Pizan 4)
Christine intelligently uses this "sugar coated" method to emphasize the point -- the
point that these men were 
wrong. Although Christine was obviously outspoken, she knew her limitations. Her work
would not be recognized, or even read, if she had openly attacked the male writers.
Therefore, she instead chose to build them up the "solemn scholars" before opposing their
positions. 
Christine's ironic humility does not stop with the prominent male writers of her time.
She addresses God with the same rhetorical question as she asks: 
Oh, God, how can this be? For unless I stray from my faith, I must never doubt that Your
infinite wisdom and most perfect goodness ever created anything which was not good. (de
Pizan 5)
Again, Christine carefully opposed the male point of view this time using Biblical
references. Christine makes an unarguable point-- God would not create anything that was
not good. Christine goes on to ask God how she could possibly doubt what these "learned
men" have written about women when He Himself has said, "…the testimony of two or
three witnesses lends credence…why shall I not doubt that this is true?" (de Pizan
5). The irony of her question is in the fact that she knows the testimony to be untrue.
By asking God for guidance and understanding in the matter, she is revealing that she is
a good, moral woman -- not the stereotypical "devilish demon." Christine continues to
question God as she asks:
Alas, God, why did You not let me be born in the world as a male, so that all my
inclinations would be to serve You better, and so that I would not stray in anything and
would be as perfect as a male is said to be? (de Pizan 5) 
As Christine describes men as "perfect," an ironic overtone is felt. Although Christine
was a very devout Christian, her question to God is not one of sincerity. The statement,
"Indeed, I maintain that when men are perfect, women will follow their example" (de Pizan
186), is found much later in the text exemplifying Christine's ability to use men's own
words against them and reveals the depth of her wit and wisdom. 
Upon crying out to God for wisdom in these matters, Christine is visited, not by God
Himself, but by three women who He has sent to her. The fact that Pizan chose to use
these "three women" to bring forth comfort and wisdom is symbolic of the importance of
women. She could have had God speak directly to Christine in a masculine voice, like the
voice that spoke to Moses and Abraham. However, Pizan uses the three wise and angelic
women to strengthen her defense of women.
Another strategy Pizan uses to emphasize the moral strengths of women is by alluding to
powerful, mythological women throughout her text. She writes of Thisbe's love for Pyramus
in Ovid's tale Metamorphoses,of Medeas love for Jason, and of Hero's love for Leander.
She cites these women as examples of faithful and undying love by women, therefore,
refuting the statement made by men that, ". . . so few women are faithful in their love
lives" (de Pizan 186). By using these women as examples, women who have been immortalized
by the writings of men, she again benefits from men,s contradictions. Men were saying how
unfaithful and frivolous women were with their hearts, yet they depicted many women
throughout literature who, ". . .persevered in their love until death. . ." (de Pizan
188). 
Not only did Pizan allude to mythological women who were faithful in love, she also
mentions a city governed by powerful queens, "…very noble ladies whom they elected
themselves, who governed them will and maintained their dominion with great strength" (de
Pizan 11). This example of powerful women portrays them in a masculine role --as leaders
and successful rulers. Pizan uses this example to foreshadow the building of the "City of
Ladies" that Christine has been chosen by God to construct. By giving an example of a
successful and strong dominion run by women, Pizan makes this idea of a city of women a
more believable concept.
Christine de Pizan was an extroidanary woman who has yet to be fully discovered. The wit
and wisdom found within The Book of the City of Ladies eclipses some contemporary
literature that defends the rights of women. Although Pizan's writing was done for
practical reasons, survival, her work revealed a vision that women are still striving to
accomplish today -- equality in all things. 
WORKS CITED
The Selected Writings of Christine De Pizan. Ed. Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski. Trans. By
Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski and Kevin Brownlee. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1997.
Blumenfeld-Kosinski, Renate. Introduction. The Selected Writings of Christine de Pizan
Ed. Renate Blumenfeld-Koninski. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Ltd., 1997. xi - xvi.
Zemon-Davis, Natalie. Foreword The Book of the City of Ladies. By Christine de Pizan.
Trans. Earl Jeffrey Richards. New York: Pesea Books, 1998. xv-xxii.
Lawson, Sarah. Introduction. The Treasure of the City of Ladies or the Book of the Three
Virtues. Trans. Sarah Lawson. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.
Leon, Vicki, Uppity Women of Medieval Times. New York; MJF Books, 1997.