Christine de Pizan pt.1

I believe Christine de Pizan’s apparent gullibility is a device to supplement her argument. She pretends to be persuaded by the arguments of men such as the detestable Matheolus for two reasons. The first reason is to mock these men and their arguments. She satirically feigns agreement to show the absurdity of the idea that “the behavior of women is inclined to and full of every vice” and that “God formed a vile creature when He made woman.” Instead of immediately challenging these ideas, she pretends to prescribe to them to suggest that not only is woman vile and inclined to vice, but also stupid enough not to defend herself from these charges.

The second reason for her apparent gullibility is to establish a power greater than herself as the source of the arguments she presents. Clearly she does not actually intend to argue that three angels or agents of God appeared to her with this mission. However, by being “persuaded” by the lesser arguments of these men, she establishes grounds for the three heavenly Ladies to visit her and challenge the status quo in her stead. Their words carry far more weight than hers alone ever could, as they are agents of God.

For the most part, I agree with de Pizan’s argument as to why men detest or slander women. However, I found the hypothetical situation proposed by Lady Reason to be weak at best. She states that attacking all women because some women have harmed men would be “as if attacked fire – a very good and necessary element nevertheless – because some people burnt themselves, or water because someone drowned. The same can be said of all good things which can be used well or used badly.” My issue with this comparison is that fire is a tool, or in her words, element. It is harnessed, controlled, manipulated, and used by man to his advantage, or if he is careless, his harm. Should one become wild, he extinguishes it. In this sense, fire is good as long as it remains under man’s control. Of course it should not be “attacked’ because careless men burn themselves, but this comparison of woman to fire also suggests that she is good and right only when she is properly under the control of a man.