Religious women writers have never been fully recognized for the enormous contribution they made to modern feminism. By looking at religious texts, we can identify that these women have made a literary difference with their proto-feminist texts.
It is currently accepted within Women’s Studies and other gender-related studies that feminism is divided into three distinct waves. These waves are divided according to their respective time periods, shifts in ideologies, and sociopolitical change. First-wave feminism, infamous for the battle for women’s suffrage and changes to marriage laws, was followed in the 1960s by the second-wave: a period dedicated to political activism, and a period that spawned the emergence of Marxist feminism, liberal feminism, and socialist feminism. The third wave was a realization and embracement of different cultures and classes of women, and resulted in the expansion of the definition of feminism.
While the method of dividing the periods of feminism into waves is effective, it is also restrictive when taking into consideration the catalyst (or catalysts) for modern feminism. Scholars embarking on their journey in Women’s Studies or other related courses are readily introduced to the most graphic images of feminism: pioneers for women’s suffrage being hauled off to prison, radical feminists yelling during the most extreme of riots, and visibly distressed and conflicted career women. Students simultaneously become well versed with a unique feminist lexicon, a vocabulary full of caustic words such as “castration,” “gender discrimination,” and “pornography.” In addition to the infamous images and feminist terminology, scholars are also introduced to some highly palatable literature. English classes focusing on women’s literature familiarize students with a variety of late Victorian classics, such as Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, before cautiously entering the increasingly complex realm of Virginia Woolf and Betty Friedan. More specialized courses focus on earlier works, and occasionally investigate the relevance of the ‘birth’ of feminism by reading Wollstonecraft and Mary Astell.
Yet women’s studies and women’s literature courses, while educational and highly informative, largely fail to consider the earliest of women’s movements.
Table of Contents
- A Sisterhood of Seclusion: The Impact of Women’s Writing on a Women’s Audience from Anchoritic to Present
- Identifying the importance of anchoritic women’s literature and lives
- Christina of Markyate
- Marguerite Porete
- From proto-feminism to modern feminism: Wollstonecraft and the Enlightenment
- Victorian Feminism and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
- The emergence of freedom and choice, and plans for the future: Simone de Beauvoir
- The Feminist Movement: A Timeline (Conclusion)
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to prove the validity of the anchoresses’ contribution to feminism, and give medieval holy women the notoriety they deserve: not just as authors and influential people, but also as pioneers for early feminism. This paper will trace the progression of the feminist movement from the anchorites of the Middle Ages to the works of Simone de Beauvoir.
- The emergence and importance of anchoritic women’s lives and writings
- The progression of feminist ideology from the Medieval period to the twentieth century
- The contributions of proto-feminist writers to the ongoing feminist movement
- The continued struggle for women’s equality in the modern era
- The importance of acknowledging the contributions of early feminists in understanding the feminist movement’s history
Chapter Summaries
The first chapter of this research paper focuses on the lives and literature of two anchoritic women, Christina of Markyate and Marguerite Porete. While both women led secluded lives devoted to religious practice, their experiences and contributions to feminist thought are significant. Christina of Markyate, a twelfth-century anchorite, was an influential figure in her community and a devout Christian who ultimately became prioress of Markyate. Her life was full of challenges, but she persevered in her dedication to God. Marguerite Porete, a beguine who lived in the thirteenth century, is known for her controversial book, The Mirror of Simple Souls. She was a revolutionary religious woman who challenged the Church’s authority and ultimately died for her beliefs.
The second chapter moves to the Enlightenment period and examines the work of Mary Wollstonecraft, whose famous polemical treatise, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, is considered a seminal work of feminist thought. Wollstonecraft argues for the importance of education for women, challenges societal views of women as inferior to men, and lays the foundation for subsequent feminist movements.
The third chapter delves into the Victorian era and explores the work of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. Her novel, The Story of Avis, captures the struggles of Victorian women who must balance their own ambitions with societal expectations of marriage and motherhood. Phelps’s book is a powerful critique of the limitations imposed upon women in her time.
The final chapter focuses on Simone de Beauvoir, a leading figure in twentieth-century feminism. Her book, The Second Sex, is a comprehensive analysis of the history of women’s oppression. De Beauvoir examines the societal and biological factors that contribute to the continued subjugation of women and calls for a complete re-evaluation of the relationship between men and women.
Keywords
This paper focuses on the evolution of feminist thought from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, exploring the writings and experiences of anchoresses, proto-feminist writers, and prominent modern-day feminists. Key themes include the history of women’s oppression, the struggle for women’s equality, the importance of education for women, the role of religion in shaping women’s lives, and the complexities of defining feminism across time and cultures.
- Quote paper
- Kristin Charney (Author), 2012, A Sisterhood of Seclusion. Medieval Women's Writing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/298702
