Czech Image of Female Participants of the „great“ French Revolution: Historiography and „Belles Lettres“ Cover Image

Obraz žen francouzské revoluce v jazykově české odborné a populární literaturě
Czech Image of Female Participants of the „great“ French Revolution: Historiography and „Belles Lettres“

Author(s): Milena Lenderová
Subject(s): Social history, Gender history, 18th Century
Published by: Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, Filozofická fakulta
Keywords: French Revolution; Czech Countries; Historiography; Fiction; Feminism;

Summary/Abstract: In our article we have attempted a reconstruction of female part in the French revolution in the Czech background based on original Czech scientific and literal reflections of the revolution published between the 1850s´ and present. Most of the Czech works – as well as foreign ones – reflect the dichotomy of sense (construct of masculinity) vs. emotions (construct of femininity), as well as a persevering conviction conceived at the beginning of the 19th century: a woman belongs to the private space and works for the family, while the „public welfare“, the man‘s territory, remains out of reach (restricted) for her. This opinion residues even in works from the 60s´ and 70s´ of the 20th century. Only the latest works have brought to attention the fact that excluding women from political life in the crucial phase of the revolution could not have been absolute and that its reflection is a key moment not only in the history of feminism, but the history of gender relations in general.

  • Issue Year: 25/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 408-422
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Slovak