Great Works of Literature I, Spring 2020 – Online – Two

How does Pizan respond to male authors’ depiction of women in her work?

de Pizan responded to male authors’ depiction of woman in her work by wondering why no one up until this point thought to question the stories being told about woman written solely by men.  While reading about woman its important to understand the point of view of the author and whether or not he is tuned in with the actual stories of woman and not just a biased male portrayal. I think this was a revolutionary idea of the time to question what it means to be a woman and how men have played a big role in controlling the narrative. I was captured by how the author wrote about common themes woman are still working to fight against today. In modern times its more important than ever for woman to gain control of the narrative around them, especially in the media, as it was similarly questioned in The Book of the City Ladies. Pizans work is groundbreaking because helped to give woman a voice in telling their own story.

What is the role of memory in Augustine’s work?

Memory plays an important role in Augustine’s work because each of the books within Confessions is a reflection back on his own life events. Augustine relies heavily on his own memory in order to paint the image to the reader how his story is not too different from their own. Using his memories Augustine is able to create a recognizable theme of a long personal struggle before coming to the reckoning and ultimate acceptance of God. When you are able to reflect back on your childhood as an adult it gives you a better understanding of why things occurred the way they did now that you can view it through the lens of an adult. This type of self development can bring closure to many painful events from your past and reform those painful memories. How we interpret our memories can help us reconcile with our internal conflicts and lead us down the path towards Gods grace.