Christine De Pizan Essay

The powerful writings of Christine de Pizan, in her works such as “The Book of the City of Ladies,” have created much debate on the nature of her writings and her, as an author. Shelia Delany in “’Mothers to Think Back Through’: Who Are They? The Ambiguous Example of Christine de Pizan” analyzes how Christine de Pizan, by the standards of her time, is mislabeled as “a reformer or proto feminist” when she rather seems “at best a contradictory figure”(Delany 315). Although Pizan may display opposing opinions in her works, Delany’s dismissal of her efforts to improve the image of women by defending their accomplishments through the explanations of the errors of men. Pizan is still a feminist and a progressive woman for her contributions to the advocacy for better representation of women. Shelia Delany provides a history lesson of the times that Pizan was living in to better explain why she was not as modern as people portray her. Delany tells of ‘Christine’s period’ as the ‘period of transition from feudalism to capitalism” and that “it was a self-consciously modern age that had begun in theory and in practice to attack traditional ideas and institutions”(Delany 316-17). Delany is right in her description of the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century, for Europe underwent great changes through the Crusades
She pushed for respect, lacked for so long by men, for women when they accomplished so much and still have the capability to reach even greater heights. Though some may say she was not as progressive for her time than described, for the times were already changing. They are greatly mistaken, for they ignore the contribution and the meaning behind the display of excellence of women in her book. Christine de Pizan’s words had a great impact when written and continue to