Connections to 2nd Wave Feminism
As everyone else, I was also surprised by the ability of these women to write and be published with such feminist perspectives at this point in history. This is yet another example of how we do not get the whole story when we are taught history during primary and secondary education.
The readings for this week reminded me of two modern concepts. The first is from Pizan. Many of us can probably remember times in our lives where we have become exasperated with discrimination and oppression, and the various things that are wrong in the world. These moments have been described as a feminist ‘click’ or ‘epiphany’. It’s where a person realizes the importance of feminism as an ideology. It is a moment of clarity where you understand the intersectionality of oppression and how interdependent we are as co-habitants of the earth. Wow – I didn’t mean to sound so… religious or something, but stay with me. These ‘clicks’ can be the first time you begin to truly believe in feminism, or it can be a reaffirmation of your beliefs. On page 165, it seems like Christine de Pizan is having a ‘click’. She explains that she wonders “why so many different men, learned and nonlearned, have been and are so ready to say and write in their treatises so many evil and reproachful things about women and their behavior.”
The reading on the ‘disenchantments’ confused me a bit. I couldn’t really tell if this was a description of something that happened, or if it was a fictional story. Either way, these ‘disenchantments’ reminded my of the consciousness raising groups of the 2nd wave. These people were examining their experiences, and trying to find the truth and reasons for these occurrences. This and the other readings have given me a sense of history as a feminist.
If you liked the poem “Happy the Woman Without a Man”, here is something you may want to check out: http://www.cyberdespot.com/home.html?jesustricks/christian-sex.html&frames/left.html&frames/top.html Bijn’s poem revealed her attitude on marriage, and the above link shows some insight on attitudes on sex in 1894 – it’s really funny.