Gender Roles In The French Revolution

The ten year French Revolution brought about a change in society, power, and history. From 1789-1799, violence, death, and change both exploited and defied gender roles as revolution both touched and changed every soul of France and countries beyond. Utilizing the oppressive mindset towards women and how they were thus treated like a fragile doll, Dickens illustrates how women were constantly held back from achieving greatness and minimized to keep the fragile ego of men intact to create the theme of women’s roles, held in both the traditional and progressive sense, and convey the complexity of women and how they were viewed in society during the French Revolution. The character of Lucie Manette portrayed the traditional views and roles
The diction Dickens employs when talking of her scared face is the epitome of how women were thought of during the French Revolution. Not only would men expect for Lucie to be far too fragile and weak to handle the news of her father, but her appearance is mentioned as well. While Miss Pross is the one saying this quote and not a man, that actually furthers the role of women in society as feeble and delicate because women are so conditioned to think of themselves in such a way. No one, Miss Pross, Mr. Lorry, nor the King himself would have ever described a startled man in such a manner by saying “his handsome pale face,” as it would take away his strength and dominance, and this is, in turn, the exact reason Lucie is described the way she is. Women are further objectified when the most patriarchal, egotistical, and oppressive man in the book, Mr. Stryver, finds Lucie to be “a charming creature” and “made up his mind to please himself,” by deciding to ask, or as he believes, deciding to grace, Lucie with a proposal of marriage (Dickens 145). Stryver holds the