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------------------------------FORWARDED FROM H-WOMEN------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 17:28:14 -0600 From: "Stacy A. Cordery" <STACY@wpoff.monm.edu> Subject: Re: Joan of Arc as Feminist Personally, I would say that being a feminist requires being aware to some extent of the oppression of women as a *class*. For that reason, among others, I wouldn't call Joan of Arc a feminist (though that isn't to say that feminists couldn't see her as a role model). Depending on how you look at it, her motivation in becoming a soldier was a) religion or b) nationalism; she doesn't seem to have been fighting for the right of women in general to become soldiers, and she never encouraged other women to join; she seems to have viewed herself as a special case. Also, the sources tell us that her wearing men's clothing was a matter of convenience--it's hard to fight in a dress. Later on, after recanting, she resumed wearing men's clothes to protect herself from rape by her jailers. Of course, it's also possible to define "feminist" as any woman who demands the same rights and opportunities as men. When you look at it that way, the question of whether Joan was a feminist depends on whether she truly believed that she heard voices from heaven telling her what to do. If, in fact, she considered herself to be simply following God's orders, then no, I would say that she wasn't a feminist. But if, on the other hand, she made up the story about her "voices" in order to have a chance to fight, then the entire meaning of her actions is changed. But all that, of course, is a secret she took to the grave. By the way, if anyone is interested in reading contemporary accounts of Joan, I would highly recommend Regine Pernoud's "Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses." It consists of annotated excerpts from her trials of condemnation and rehabilitation. Laura Del Col (being as coherent as I can at 2 a.m.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - delcol_l@ab.edu http://ab.edu/~delcol_l/index.html "Yes, what you know in childhood you know for a whole lifetime, but also: what you don't know in childhood you don't know for a whole lifetime." --Marina Tsvetaeva ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -
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