French Culture Essay

French culture and society has evolved from many different aspects of French life. From the mastery of French cuisine to the meaning of French art, the French have changed and evolved in many ways to produce a specific modern culture, the dignified culture of the French. One thing that parallels the progress and continuation of French culture is the role of women throughout France. Compared to other nations, the role and rights of women in France were confronted earlier and Women’s suffrage was enacted earlier. The role of women in France, because of the early change in perception of women, enabled France to develop faster and with less conflict than other competing nations.

A painting by David about the murder of Marat can symbolize the sense of individualism and rebellion against the terror. Marat was part of the rebellion in France, keeping the French under control through use of his communication news flyers that he published every week.

Missing from the painting is Marat’s murderer, Charlotte Corday. Corday was a tall, attractive and articulate 25-year-old who decided to travel all the way from Normandy to Paris in order to strike an important political blow. A very big supporter of the moderate Girondin Party, Corday blamed Marat for the Terror consuming the French Revolution, as faction warred against faction. While modeling herself after the heroes of antiquity whom she studied in Plutarch, she had planned to murder Jean Marat, like Julius Caesar, publically at the National Convention floor. But, when illness forced Marat to the confines of his bathtub due to his skin condition, Corday tracked him down to his apartment and won a private audience. This type of bravery and commitment to stopping the terror would most likely...

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...he turn of the 20th century. This ideology shared in Paris gave individuals the right to not have to get married and settle down. Even the married couples within Paris didn’t really like to “settle down” as close to thirty six percent of married couples did not have children. This sense of individualism was even shared within the female realm as many females did not “need a man” during this era.

This sense of individualism shared in the writing s of Zola and Herbert and depicted in the paintings of David and Delacroix shows people looking back in history that women in France were not perceived the same way in similar countries. A nation like our own didn’t give voting rights to women until thirty years ago. The culture of France and French people and their perception of women in society eventually helped France to be the classiest, most respectful nation of power.