This week I am presenting St. Therese de Lisieux to my class so since I don't need to journal on her I will post some pictures and a few YouTube videos!
Some links to more info about St. Therese!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Early 20th Century Women - Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette
In 1893, twenty year old Colette married her first husband Henry Gauthier-Villars, who was also a writer. Henry published his work under the pen name "Willy". The couple published the Claudine series together. Colette left her first husband in 1906 and went to live with her friend, and lover, Natalie Clifford Barney. Colette and the American expatriate salonist Natalie had a short lesbian affair and remained friends afterwards. During this time, Colette worked in the music halls where she worked with and became intimate with Mathilde de Morny, a fellow performer. In 1912, Colette was married for the second time. She and her husband had a daughter named Colette de Jouvenel. Sadly, Colette did not spend much time with her daughter. During World War I, Colette wrote a ballet for the Paris Opera. She also opened up her husband's estate to wounded soldiers. For her "hospital" she was awarded the Legion of Honor. In 1924, Colette divorced her husband after her affair with her stepson was discovered. She would marry again in 1935. Her third husband, Maurice Goudeket, wrote Colette's biography. Her post-war works include Gigi and Chéri, two of her most famous novels. Colette died in 1954. Her books were surprising because of their often intimate themes, but they were clever and people enjoyed reading them which is why she became such a well-loved French author.
More about Colette here!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Heroines of the 19th Century - Marie Curie
Marie Curie was an extremely important woman of science during the 19th century. Marie was born in Poland when it was under Russian occupation. Under Russian occupation, it was difficult for young Polish people to get an education that was not corrupted or influenced by the Russian regime. So, Marie had to begin her studies in Warsaw's secret underground university, often called the Floating or Flying University. The Flying University defied Russian occupation with its pro-Polish curriculum and its admittance of women in its classes. Marie and her family struggled monetarily through most of her early life. She took a position as a governess so that she could earn money to support her sister's studies in Paris. While earning money to pursue her own studies, Marie educated herself further by reading and writing letters.
In 1891, Marie moved to Paris to stay with her sister while studying at the University of Paris. Marie studied physics, chemistry, and mathematics. After earning one of her degrees, Marie began her career when she decided to investigate the magnetic properties of metals. She soon met her future husband, Pierre Curie, who was also a scientists and a teacher. They began working on various projects together and eventually fell in love and got married.
Pierre and Marie Curie
In 1895, X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Roentegen and then in 1896 , Uranium was discovered to display X-ray like emissions. Marie was very interested in these studies and decided to work with uranium. One of her first uranium discoveries was that the element could conduct electricity in the air around it. This led to the important discovery that atoms are divisible from each other. This initial work with uranium led to further research on the radioactivity of different elements and minerals. Unfortunately, Marie and Pierre did not know about the risk they were taking by handling extremely radioactive elements without proper safety equipment.
In 1897, Marie and Pierre's daughter Irène was born. Marie got a position to teach at the École Normale Supérieure. Her job as a teacher helped support her family as well as her research. Marie and Pierre used a shed near the School of Physics and Chemistry as their laboratory. After making her discoveries, Marie quickly published her work, knowing that if she did not somebody else would get the credit for doing similar work by publishing their findings before her. In 1898, the Curie's published there discovery of polonium and radium, two radioactive elements, but it wasn't until 1910 that the Curie's successfully isolated pure radium. The couple published many papers on their work. One interesting paper was about how tumor-forming cancer cells, when exposed to radium, would die off faster than healthy cells. In 1903, Marie earned her doctorate and she and Pierre were invited to give a presentation in London about radioactivity. Unfortunately, because Marie was a woman she was not allowed to speak during the presentation, so Pierre had to do all the talking.
In 1903, Marie was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics for her research on radiation, making her the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize for her scientific work. The next year Marie and Pierre had a second daughter, Ève, but in 1906 Pierre died after being struck by a horse-drawn vehicle. After Pierre's death, the University of Paris granted Marie her husbands professorship position making her the first woman professor at that university. During World War I, Marie was involved in the Red Cross Radiology Service and helped provide mobile X-ray technology. After the war, she toured some parts of the world to raise funds for future radium research. Marie died in 1934 from aplastic anemia, a disease often caused by exposure to radiation. She and Pierre were interred in the Panthéon in Paris.
The Curie Family
In 1897, Marie and Pierre's daughter Irène was born. Marie got a position to teach at the École Normale Supérieure. Her job as a teacher helped support her family as well as her research. Marie and Pierre used a shed near the School of Physics and Chemistry as their laboratory. After making her discoveries, Marie quickly published her work, knowing that if she did not somebody else would get the credit for doing similar work by publishing their findings before her. In 1898, the Curie's published there discovery of polonium and radium, two radioactive elements, but it wasn't until 1910 that the Curie's successfully isolated pure radium. The couple published many papers on their work. One interesting paper was about how tumor-forming cancer cells, when exposed to radium, would die off faster than healthy cells. In 1903, Marie earned her doctorate and she and Pierre were invited to give a presentation in London about radioactivity. Unfortunately, because Marie was a woman she was not allowed to speak during the presentation, so Pierre had to do all the talking.
In 1903, Marie was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics for her research on radiation, making her the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize for her scientific work. The next year Marie and Pierre had a second daughter, Ève, but in 1906 Pierre died after being struck by a horse-drawn vehicle. After Pierre's death, the University of Paris granted Marie her husbands professorship position making her the first woman professor at that university. During World War I, Marie was involved in the Red Cross Radiology Service and helped provide mobile X-ray technology. After the war, she toured some parts of the world to raise funds for future radium research. Marie died in 1934 from aplastic anemia, a disease often caused by exposure to radiation. She and Pierre were interred in the Panthéon in Paris.
Visit these links for more on Marie Curie!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Heroines of the 19th Century - Flora Tristan
Flora Tristan was a French social and feminist activist in the early 19th century. Flora was born in Paris in 1803. Her father was a Spanish colonel and his family had a great deal of influence in Peru. Flora's father died when she was four years old, but due to legal technicalities, her deceased father's lands and wealth were confiscated leaving Flora and her mother destitute. Flora went to Peru in 1833 attempting to get her father's property back. Though she was unable to get back her rightful inheritance, Flora was certainly inspired by her stay in Peru. She wrote a travel diary about her time there and published it with the title Pérégrinations d'une Paria. Flora married a man named André Chazal in 1821. Their marriage was a failure and Flora felt that she was enslaved by marriage. She sought to separate from him, this separation was not granted until after her husband shot her. Her experience of marriage and her travels to Peru and other countries helped fuel her desire to write about social issues and to take an active role in trying to fix the problems in society. Her last work written in 1843, The Worker's Union, is a good example of her social and political activism. Flora connected the working class's struggles with the struggles of all women.
"In the life of the workers, woman is everything.
She is their providence. If she is missing, everything is missing."
-Flora Tristan
In 1844, Flora contracted yellow fever and died. There is an association for women in Peru named after Flora Tristan. It is called Centro de la mujer peruana Flora Tristán. They have a website written in Spanish, but I believe that they provide legal help to women who may be suffering from domestic violence. They also have an online library and their website can help direct those who wish to have an active role in social change get more information about what they can do to become involved.
Here are some links with more info on Flora Tristan!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Heroines of the French Revolution - Madame Roland
Madame Roland was born in Paris in 1754. She was very well educated, studying literature, music, and dance. Roland had some schooling in a convent, where she was influenced by reading the work of Voltaire and Plutarch. In 1780, she married the philosopher Jean-Marie Roland de la Platière. This husband and wife team both became supporters of the French Revolution and were leaders of the Girondins. Interestingly, Madame Roland and her husband had first identified with the Jacobin Club before defecting and creating the Girondin party. Most of Roland's influence came from her "tweaking" of her husband's political letters and pamphlets. Roland also had a salon at the Hotel Brittanique in Paris. In 1793, during the Reign of Terror, Roland and other Girondins were arrested, their crime treason. During her imprisonment, Roland wrote her memoirs and had them smuggled out of prison by her visitors. Roland helped her husband escape Paris and was eventually guillotined in November 1793. Her memoirs were published posthumously, allowing Madame Roland to continue influencing the formation of the French Republic.
More about Madame Roland can be found here!
Heroines of the French Revolution - Charlotte Corday
Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont was a female supporter of the Girondins party and an assassin. Charlotte was born in Normandy. Her parents were minor members of the aristocratic class. After her mother's death, her father sent his remaining children and Charlotte to an abbey, the Abbaye aux Dames, in Caen, Normandy. There Charlotte had access to the writings of Plutarch, Rousseau and Voltaire. Charlotte was educated at the Abbey and probably lived there until 1791 when she began living with her cousin Madame Le Coustellier de Bretteville-Gouville in Caen. Charlotte identified with the Girondin party, which was less radical and did not agree with the way the Revolution was evolving. Charlotte became very influenced by Girondin speakers and leaders. This influence would lead to Charlotte's plan to murder Jean-Paul Marat.
Marat was a journalist and major leader of the radical Jacobins, who implemented the Reign of Terror. Charlotte, at only 24 years old, left her home in Caen and traveled to Paris. She believed that Marat and his writings were influencing the people in a bad way and were contributing to the violence in the city and throughout the country. Charlotte rented a room and bought a kitchen knife. She wrote letters explaining her motives, Charlotte knew she was going to die for her actions and she accepted that her end would come from this plan. Initially, she had planned to kill Marat in public since she had heard that he often went to the National convention to attend meetings. She later discovered that he was at his home, suffering from a skin condition he had picked up while hiding in the Parisian sewers.
Charlotte went to Marat's home on the 13th of July, 1793. She asked to speak with him twice before being admitted in the evening. Marat was famously in his bathtub, soaking his putrifing sores. Charlotte had only been allowed to visit because she was going to give him the names of some of her Girondin friends. After telling Marat the names of her fellow Girondins, Charlotte stabbed him through his chest and straight through his heart with her kitchen knife. Charlotte was arrested and put on trial for the assassination of Marat. She testified that she alone had planned the murder. She was sentenced to die by the guillotine like so many other people during the Terror. On the 17th of July, Charlotte's hair was chopped off, she was loaded onto a tumbrel with several other people, and brought to the place of execution. Charlotte was probably wearing a red dress, symbolizing that she was being executed for murder. Charlotte was a heroine for willingly giving her life by ". . . [killing] one man to save a hundred thousand" from the Reign of Terror.
For more about Charlotte Corday click these links!
Heroines of the French Revolution - Olympe de Gouges
Olympe de Gouges was a playwright, feminist, and abolitionist during the French Revolution. Olympe was born Marie Gouze into a small bourgeois family. Her father was a butcher and her mother was the daughter of a cloth merchant. Olympe was convinced that she was the illegitimate daughter of a local nobleman, the Marquis de Pompigan, who had simply refused to acknowledge her. It is believed that this is why she often stood up for illegitimate children in her writings. In 1765, she married Louis Aubry, a man that she did not love. He died early in their marriage and eventually Marie moved to Paris with her young son and took the name Olympe De Gouges.
In Paris, Olympe gained access to some salons and had the opportunity to meet other writers and political figures. Olympe began her writing career in the 1780s. She was a very prolific writer with as many as forty works attributed to her writing. She wrote several plays such as Zamore and Mirza and L'Esclavage des Negres. Most of her work was about social issues, such as slavery and the rights of women. One of Olympe's most well known works is The Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen. Olympe wrote her own women oriented Declaration in response to The Declaration of the Rights of Men and the Male Citizen. Olympe was eventually arrested after creating and posting a poster called The Three Urns or, Salvation of the Father Land by an Aerial Traveller. This poster upset the radical Jacobins who did not like that her poster asked its audience to pick one of three types of government. Olympe was arrested in 1793 and while imprisoned and on trial, she did not have the right to an attorney. Olympe defending herself against a jury of men who were all against her cause and the fact that she was a meddling women, was sentenced to die by the guillotine. Olympe had passionately joined in the revolutionary spirit, perhaps hoping that a regime change would be an appropriate time for women, and other people without the same rights as men, to join together and get the rights that they deserve. She was courageous and was not afraid to write and publish anything that might get her killed. She died for supporting and believing in her own words.
Click these links to learn more about Olympe de Gouges!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
17th and 18th Century Women - The Salon
The salon was extremely important in France through the 17th and 18th centuries. The salons were the gathering places for women intellectuals to discuss various topics. The women of the salons regulated their salons by choosing who was invited and deciding what the topic of each meeting would be. Salons were a source of an informal education and a place for women to exchange ideas through lively debates.
There were many famous salons, like the Hôtel de Rambouillet, in 17th century France that were run by mostly aristocratic or high-born ladies. Later in the 18th century, there is a shift from aristocrat-run salons to salons regulated by those of the wealthy middle class. Madame Geoffrin was one of these 18th century salon hostesses. Geoffrin was an important female contributor to the French Enlightenment movement. Madame Geoffrin hosted important foreigners and other distinguished guests. It was a great honor to be invited to her salon.
There is a great deal of information on the salons and the women who participated in the salons. Here are some links to more info!
Monday, October 7, 2013
17th Century Women - Women of the Fronde
The Fronde was a two part civil war in France. The first part was the Fronde Parlementaire (1648-1649) and the second part was the Fronde des nobles (1650-1653). The Fronde led to the loss of aristocratic and legislative power and the birth of an absolute monarchy in France.
La Grande Mademoiselle
Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, the Grande Mademoiselle and "granddaughter of France, was the cousin of Louis XIV and a very, rich heiress. Interestingly, Mademoiselle never married, though later in her life she had tried to marry Antoine Nompar de Caumont, duc de Lauzun. Mademoiselle was in her twenties when the Fronde conflicts began. She sided with her father, the Duke of Orléans, supporting those against an absolute monarchy. Her involvement in the Fronde got her in some trouble with the king, who sent her away from court and into exile at her estate, Saint-Fargeau. Mademoiselle was called back to court in 1657. She began writing her memoirs which contained her thoughts on the happenings at court. She often frequented the theater and salons with her half sister, Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. She was a very powerful female at court and she declined many proposals for her hand in marriage. This upset her cousin, the king, who promptly sent her away for a second "exile" at her estate. When she returned to court, she eventually fell in love with Antoine Nompar de Caumont, but Louis did not allow them to marry. The Grande Mademoiselle died in 1693 and was buried in the Royal Basilica of St. Denis.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
17th Century Women - The Précieuses
The Précieuses was a movement, a group of women, and a literary style that appeared briefly during the 17th century. It featured platonic romance and feminine elegance, such as the refinement of language. The women exploring these ideas were experimenting with their intellectual identity and pushing for more personal freedoms. The audience of this movement and the works of literature it produced was women of high social status. Interestingly, the women involved in précieusus did not indicate to others that they were involved with the movement. Participants were concerned with maintaining their social standing since those who openly identified with précieuses ideology were often ostracized from the community. Men opposed the précieuses movement, disliking that it encouraged women to challenge how women were supposed to behave in society and within the confines of marriage.
Besides facing the challenge of male opposition, the précieuses women were limited by other conditions. Even if they were married to a wealthy man, that did not mean that they would have the funds to bring the ideas of précieuses out of the salon. They also had a limited freedom of speech, not only because of social status, but also because they were women. Apparently at this time in history, women were bound by law not to speak their mind because it was "inappropriate" for women to have an opinion. Within the salon, these women could express their ideas through parlor games. The most notable game they played involved recreating fairy tales, like Beauty and the Beast, by infusing précieuses and feminist ideas. In these tales, the characters were of the aristocratic class and the men never mistreated their ladies. This brings back the idea of platonic love. These women wanted to have relationships with men, perhaps their husband or a male acquaintance, that was intellectual and in which they could be themselves. They wanted love that was not purely physical, for pleasing their husbands and producing heirs.
Besides facing the challenge of male opposition, the précieuses women were limited by other conditions. Even if they were married to a wealthy man, that did not mean that they would have the funds to bring the ideas of précieuses out of the salon. They also had a limited freedom of speech, not only because of social status, but also because they were women. Apparently at this time in history, women were bound by law not to speak their mind because it was "inappropriate" for women to have an opinion. Within the salon, these women could express their ideas through parlor games. The most notable game they played involved recreating fairy tales, like Beauty and the Beast, by infusing précieuses and feminist ideas. In these tales, the characters were of the aristocratic class and the men never mistreated their ladies. This brings back the idea of platonic love. These women wanted to have relationships with men, perhaps their husband or a male acquaintance, that was intellectual and in which they could be themselves. They wanted love that was not purely physical, for pleasing their husbands and producing heirs.
Catherine de Vivonne
This movement would not have been organized at all without this woman. Catherine de Vivonne supplied the précieuses with a place to meet and play their parlor games. She and her husband, the Marquis de Rambouillet, owned the Hôtel de Rambouillet. In this place was the famous chambre bleue, the blue salon where she greated her guests.
Madame de La Fayette
Madame de La Fayette was a French novelist, she is most famous for her historical novel La princesse de Clèves. La Fayette's novel was a romance and the heroine was a young woman who marries one man, but falls in love with another after her marriage. The novel shows précieuses traits because La Fayette put lots of emphasis on what was going on inside the character's head. She though about what a woman in the princess's situation would think about.
Madeleine de Scudéry
Mademoiselle de Scudéry was another important French writer who frequented the salon of Hôtel Rambouillet. She never married, living with her brother in Paris after the death of her uncle, who was her guardian. Under her uncle's guardianship, Madeleine became surprisingly well-educated, studying writing, dancing, drawing, agriculture, medicine, and even some classical history. As a female writer living in Paris, she soon became a major figure in the salon and eventually would open her own salon for discussing précieuses literature and ideas. She published some her writings in her brother's name and others under a pen name. One of her works Les Femmes Illustres, targeted women as its audience and defended education and intelligent conversation. It was a social challenge that she hoped women would embrace.
More information about the Précieuses click these links!
Women of the Hundred Year's War - St. Joan of Arc
Over the past few weeks my class has been discussing tons of material on Joan of Arc. Joan was a source of controversy during her own times, and in present times the many sides of her story are still played with through media such as movies.
There is much to be said about Joan of Arc, so I will try to be brief! First of all, it is mind-blowingly amazing that a sixteen year-old peasant girl could somehow get command of an entire army in a matter of months. Joan of Arc's arrival on the front lines of the Hundred Year's war was a pivotal moment. She was the turning point that would eventually lead to the English leaving France and sailing back to their island. From a young age, probably around twelve, Joan began to hear voices or see visions of saints. When she was a girl, these voices mostly encouraged her to go to Mass frequently, to pray and go to confession often as well. Later on in her teen years, this pious young lady received a call from God to bring the true French king to his throne and end the English occupation of France. So Joan got an audience with the Dauphin Charles. At this point, a rumor/legend had been spread that a maid from the region of Lorraine would be the savior of France. This becomes important for Joan's acceptance by the king and the people, it makes it very convincing that this mission was her destiny. Joan was from the Lorraine region, and after being analyzed to make sure she wasn't crazy and of course to check that she was a virgin, Charles let her join his army.
Joan's first mission was to sneak provisions into the town of Orléans, which had been under siege by the English for almost six months. The town was surrounded on all sides, so the only way in was to sail up the river under cover of darkness. So as legend has it, Joan and her troops got on some boats sent by Orléans for the provisions and a miraculous wind blew them silently through the night and into Orléans. Over the course of about eight days, after entering Orléans, Joan helped lift the siege. This gained her a great deal of support from other military leaders and of course from the soldiers.
After this victory, Joan became co-commander of the army. She insisted on bringing the Dauphin to Reims for his coronation. After King Charles VI's coronation, Joan continued the war effort. She was not finished until the English were gone! Unfortunately, Joan was captured by some Burgundians, other enemies of the French during the war, who sold her to the English. Joan tried to escape her captors a few times. Most notable is her escape attempt in which she threw herself out of a tower window, almost walking away with a few scrapes and bruises before being recaptured. The English put her on trial (her trial is one of the most well documented parts of her life) by a Church court. She was charged with many crimes, but the big one was heresy. They did not believe in her mission from God, they just wanted to prove that she was an insane French girl who thought she heard the voices of the saints. In the end, Joan was burned at the stake mostly for defending that she did have visions of saints, but also for wearing pants (two reasons: 1) didn't want to get raped by her captors, 2) God wanted her to wear pants).
Years after her death, the Church re-evaluated her case and proclaimed her a martyr. In 1920 she was canonized a saint. She has continued to be a symbol of nationalism for the French and she was also an important symbol in propaganda during the World War I and II era. Today we have access to many interpretations of her life and mission. She has inspired many films and there is also a television show based on her visions/voices.
In movies and television
Visit these links for more on Joan of Arc and also check out these videos!
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