Christine de Pizan has been described as the first professional writer necessitated by her social class and gender. She is the writer of the Middle Ages who hews to let us a better understanding of what is to be a woman living in times; when women were not allowed to work, did not have a voice, or be independent. “…which made me wonder why on earth it was that so many men, both clerks, and others, have said and continue to say and write such awful, demining things about women and their ways” (Pizan 783).
She understands the challenges of women living in the 14th century. She wants to show other women achievements throughout history to bake the stereotypical outlook about them. “…who all seem to speak with one voice and are unanimous in their view that female nature is wholly given up to vice” ( Pizan 783).
Pizan is defending women’s capabilities and virtues to motivate women in order to learn from them. In her first part of the book, she introduces to us the three Virtues- Reason, Rectitude, and Justice. Christine tells stories of 11 ladies of politics and military accomplishments, 18 ladies of learning, and 4 ladies of prudence. In the second part of the book, Pizan talks about ladies who exemplify virtuous conduct, and in the third section, she includes discussions of various holy women.
Christine constructed an ethical guideline using examples of all those powerful women from history to show the importance of female contributions in culture and society. “… futures women who ruled cities and empires, including Dido of Carthage and Semiramis of Babylon” (Pizan 782). Pizan wants women of her time and any woman in the future to navigate her life to be successful in man’s world.