This book discovered a treasure trove of ideas that were enlightening to women — the virtues of women. They are not some external characteristics, such as age, appearance, origin, etc., nor is it an abstract concept, but a noble way of life, that is, through positive self-cultivation and improvement, to achieve the organic unity of personal excellence and social achievements. Before this moment, only a few men, including those who are humanists in the traditional sense, had ever given women such high recognition and expectations for human qualities. From this moment on, women, or at least those “noble women”, will probably have as many human virtues as men, and let these virtues guide their actions, thereby winning honor for themselves and benefiting others and the whole society.
One thought on “Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies”
Comments are closed.
The City of ladies depicts a perfect world only for women. In this world, there are all good women living in the city of ladies. Pizan describes these women as spiritual backbones for ordinary women, inspiring all women to stand on their own two feet. At the same time, Pizan’s description of the Women’s City also reflects the inequality of social status between men and women in her era. It is precise because of the low social status of women in the imagination of the City of Women. Although the City of Ladies was not a big wave in society at that time, Pizan’s act of speaking out for women aroused women’s thoughts of equality.