The Book of the City of Ladies is about women in the early 1400s: you just know that power plays a huge role. In those days, men had all the power in society and women had to do everything they said.
Christine de Pizan does close this book by saying that women should obey their husbands and not try to be independent. But there are so many stories in this book celebrating women's independence that it's hard to believe that this was de Pizan's real opinion. She no doubt pulled back on some of her final points because of the damage that could be inflicted on her reputation if the powerful men in her society decided to turn against her.
Questions About Power
- Do you think that de Pizan believes her own arguments about women obeying their husbands, or does she just say this because she has to? Why?
- How does the City of Ladies give women more power to live the lives they want? Is it even a real place?
- How would de Pizan like for men to use their power and influence in society? Are there examples she gives of "good" power? What are they?
- What would de Pizan think of gender in today's world? Do you think she'd be a fan? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pizan shows that nothing in society will ever improve until women are given just as much power as men.
In The Book of the City of Ladies,Christine de Pizan argues that men should have power over women and should use it responsibly if they want to go to heaven.