Exploring the Structure of Christine de Pizan’s
The Book of The City of Ladies
The influence of words can be compelling, but the true strength of words only comes into focus when it is conveyed by the hands of a competent and capable writer. At that point, words can be downright awe-inspiring. Such is the case with Christine de Pizan and the words she filled The Book of the City of Ladies with. She eloquently and emphatically imparts the reader with a texturally rich justification of the true worth of women, which has stood the test of time. As it will become apparent, the author’s use of an all-female cast of characters in the story act as idyllic vessels for her affirmative stance on women and she uses …show more content…
The best definition of value, as it relates to this particular piece of writing, can be defined in the form of significance and worth. It is a combination of the premise, creation, and fictional story contained within its pages give this definition weight. In more ways than one, the premise of Christine’s work is most precious because it challenged many of the established historical notions about women and has served as a positive point-of-view about women; in turn, it has also endured the test of time and still represents an uplifting example of an early written work by a woman. As far as the creation of the book is concerned, one must recall that when Christine de Pizan was alive, it was almost unheard of for a woman to be in the position of an educated and revered author; in her actual role as an individual and as a woman, her very action of creating this book serves as an allegorical foundation stone of female equality. Finally, the formation and implementation of the fictional story that was set in motion by her mind, evolved in her words and sentence structures, and was given life by her, in the pages she filled, are all of great significance because she did not allow herself or her thought …show more content…
She emotively exposes her readers with a rich rationalization as to why women are just as good, if not better than men. The cast of women characters within The Book of the City of Ladies gives de Pizan an exceptionally affirmative sounding board to express her assertions about women with validity, voracity, and value. To do this, the all-female cast of characters and the great many stories they share serve as a means of validating women as more than what men have labeled them as. In addition, the voracious sharing of these stories also serves as a means of placing a positive light onto womankind. Lastly, valuation is plentiful; beginning with the moral fortitude of the author herself, the significance of de Pizan’s book is perceptible because of its very premise, creation, and the story it tells. In essence, Christine de Pizan’s efforts as a woman and a writer are a powerful reminder as to how words, especially in the hands of a skilled and determined individual, can unleash an astute literary