22 September 2009
City of Ladies and Other Cities
Just a few thoughts: It recently (as in 2 minutes ago) came to my attention that Augustine wrote "The City of God," in which there are two opposing cities, the City of God and the City of Man (City of the World?). While I know virtually none of the specifics, it seems clear that Christine de Pizan was echoing and responding to a kind of conversation here, or even echoing a textual/rhetorical tradition. Apparently de Pizan's City of Ladies is construed as a more redemptive, restorative site, as opposed the depraved and sinful City of Man posed by Augustine, but it does make me wonder what we've missed in our BH-selected Augustinian readings... And while I know we've moved on to Erasmus and others, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to continue considering the extent to which these rhetors (the women, especially) are complicating and re-appropriating dominant discourses and formations.
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Laura, I'm glad to see you note that, and your use of the terms "redemptive" and "restorative" are rich.
ReplyDeletePizan's title is indeed an allusion to Augustine’s _City of God_, and some have read it as an attempt to figure herself and her point of view within religious discourse, even (or especially) while positing her work as protofeminist.
Pizan's allegorical use of three virtues Justice, Reason, and Discretion (or Worldly Prudence) in lieu of "faith, hope, and charity" makes her re-appropriation all the more compelling for Lawson, Glenn, Redfern and others who note either that these virtues were not typically associated with religious women, or that these virtues may represent one of Pizan's attempts to reconcile woman's heavenly/worldly places.
For more, there is some helpful (though sparse) background information on Pizan's books in Gilbert and Gubar's anthology of feminist criticism (Norton, 2007), as well as in Ronald and Roskelly's anthology entitled _Available Means_ (Pittsburgh, 2001). And of course, there is a more extensive bibliography listed on B/H 544.
I would be very interested in seeing what you and others discover in terms of this complication and re-appropriation, especially whether it occurs the same way or--if not--what principles seem to guide or drive it in various contexts.
-Tarez