There were writers such as Ralph Emerson, Herman Melville and Walt Whitman whose literary works identify the American Renaissance. The literary works depict the ideas of reform, democratization, marginalism and individualism during this period of time. Often forgotten are the scholarly literary pieces showing the effort and achievements of women during this time period. Women of the American and Italian Renaissance have similarities. Louisa May Alcott, an American Renaissance female shares affinities with Moderata Fonte, an Italian Renaissance women both wanted to achieve equality for females in a male dominant society.
Louisa May Alcott is an American Renissance woman, she became a writer expressing her own opinon and encouraging other women
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to read her works. In the article, “ Little Woman”, by Matteson its states,” Impentous, high-spirited, and cursed with a sometimes ferocious temper, she resisted her father’s efforts to shape her into a model child.” A tough father who was a perfectionist raised Luisa.
He called her a “devil” and “unfaithful” in his diary because she didn't live up to his expectations. Being raised in this fashion Louisa became a stronger woman than she would have been due to her father’s high expectations for her success. In the same article Matteson states,” “Life,” she told her journal in 1874,” always was a puzzle to me, and gets more mysterious as I go on. I shall find it out by and by and see it’s all right, if I can only keep brave and patient to end.” Louisa had a life of many obstacles although; these obstacles have allowed her to grow as an individual. Louisa was able to take these experiences …show more content…
and use her life to write phenomenal literary works such as, Little Woman a novel based on her life and gender roles in society. In the article,” Little Woman”, Matteson states, “Alcott’s fiction seems to owe less to her close acquaintances than to Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, and Harriet Beecher Stowe- authors with whole her personal connection was slight or nonexistent.” She was somewhat associated to Harriet Beecher Stowe by writing for the women’s journal, being part of her association and believing in women’s equality. Thus, Louisa May Alcott was an influential woman during the American Renissance. .
Moderata Fonte is an Italian Renassance woman who was a feminist writer. In the book, “A Short History of the Italian Renaissance, Chapter One”, V.Cox states,” At the same time, the inner world of the self became a focus of scrutiny: ‘man became a spiritual individual and recognized himself as such’ (p.96).” Moderata was a woman and wrote originally under a hidden name. After some time Moderata confessed to who she was and identified herself as the writer. She began to recognize who she is as a person in society. In the book,” A Short History of the Italian Renaissance, Chapter 6” V. Cox states,” Her relative and writing mentor, Giovanni Niccolò Doglioni, writes in the interesting biography that prefaces the printed version of The Worth of Women, that Fonte felt constrained to pursue her writing only in hasty, snatched moments, out of deference to ‘the false notion, so widespread in our city today, that women should excel in nothing but the running of the household’ (WW, 9).” Moderata believed that women had more worth than just taking care of the house. Moderata decided to voice her opinion to prove to a society where men were considered sacred and perfect that women can be just as successful. In the book,” A Short History of the Italian Renaissance, Chapter 6” V. Cox states,” The Worth of Women is a remarkable work: a strikingly original contribution to the long---running debate on women’s status and role, and a lively and engaging dialogue that still reads very freshly
today.” Moderata’s novel is still relevant in society today. There are many individuals in society even society today who have different views on marriage and the role of woman. Moderata was an influential woman in the Italian Renissance and has had a positive impact on the role women play. Louisa May Alcott and Moderata Fonte have similarities although both women lived in different time periods. In the article,” The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy” by Jacob Burckhardt it states,” Then follows the defense of poetry, the praise of it, and especially of the deeper and allegorical meanings which we must always attribute to it, and of that calculated obscurity which is intended to repel the dull minds of the ignorant. “Louisa and Moderata were both poets and inspired by important men in their lives. These men believed in both of these females and showed them to find a voice in a male dominant society where females were looked down. Both females wrote under hidden names due to society’s stigma of women. In the article,” Whose Renassance “ by Sharon Harris it states,” As we discuss the many reform movements in which women took to public roles per formative roles of action and sometimes if resistance- it seems especially vital to contextualize such public exposure with the drastic writings and, when recoverable, their public performances.” Both Louisa and Moderata wrote dramatic writings depicting the importance of gender equality. Louisa wrote Little Woman and Moderata wrote The Worth Women. As well, both women were part of reform movements and their novels showed the importance of women in society. In the article,” Darren Staff, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson “ by D. Staloff it states,” The famed Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant summed up the Enlightenment in the phrase "dare to know!" bringing to mind an image of heroic humanism.” Louisa and Moderata both “dare to know” that woman are a lot stronger than they are being portrayed as housewives and uneducated during this time. Thus, Louisa May Alcott and Moderata Fonte have many similarities even though the women are from two different time periods. Both women, were inspired by individuals to write, wrote under hidden names and knew that women were worth more than men claimed them to be. As Louisa May Alcott states,” We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.”
Although Christine de Pizan lived from 1364 until 1430, in the City of Ladies about she wrote the power of women and feminine success. Evidently, she was one of the first feminist writers that we know to have existed, but this does not mean she was the first feminist. In Pizan’s City of Ladies, she examines many historical examples of females as rulers of kingdoms, as warriors, and as strong and courageous figures in every aspect of their lives. Pizan uses these women as role models, and strengthens and builds her city on the foundation that they have already set down. Christine demonstrates that throughout antiquity there have been many women who defend both themselves and their gender, and prove that women are able, intelligent and courageous. The value of ancient precedents essentially makes Pizan’s writings viable, and they contribute to the idea of feminism and portrayal of women during the renaissance period.
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was a prominent American author who wrote over 30 books in her lifetime. She is greatly remembered for her book Hospital Sketches, which she wrote to home while serving as an army nurse during the Civil War. Growing up, her home was a stop on the Underground Railroad and this helped her realize the effects of slavery on these slaves. She wanted to help in any way she could. In December 1862, Alcott left for the Union hospital in Georgetown, outside of Washington, DC, to become a nurse. She had no formal training as a nurse and no formal training was required. The only requirements were to be sober minded, mature, and plain-looking.
Historians and scholars often overlook the part that women played in the Renaissance. Did women have a Renaissance? The period did not occur in a male only vacuum; women played an important part in the changes taking place across Europe. No matter a woman’s station in the class system, women, were still considered the sinful daughter of Eve, the downfall of man. Into this world stepped Isabella d’Este, one of the great women of the Renaissance.
Did you know that Martha Washington wasn’t married to George first? Her first marriage was to to Daniel Custis, before she became a widow. Martha was born on June 2, 1731 at Chestnut Grove Plantation, in Virginia. Then sadly she died on May 22, 1802. Martha Dandridge was born in the British colony of Virginia at her parents’ home called Chestnut Grove Plantation. Her father, John, was a successful farmer and local politician. When the Revolutionary War began Martha’s second husband George , was chosen to be the commander of the continental army.
Best remembered for her books about the March family, especially her children’s masterpiece, Little Women, Alcott also wrote sensational novels and thrillers for adults. She was a very creative, difficult, and willful girl who was both moody and loyal.
Suzanne G. Cusick, who considers herself a speicialist in the life and works of Francesca Caccini, argues that Francesca was a proto-feminist and the music she composed for the Medici court contributed to the career of the Grand Duchess Christine de Lorraine of Tuscany. She therefore claims that through her works, Caccini encourages the sexuality and political aims of women in the early seventeenth century.1
...e, although the Renaissance was considered a revolutionary time period that sprung immense developments throughout Europe, this era however did not bring change to the identity and power of Renaissance women. As a result of analyzing the prejudiced regulations of female versus male sexuality, the misogynistic ideologies of society as conferred through literature and philosophy and the life of notable female Renaissance figures, it is evident that women failed to attain an era of rebirth, therefore delaying the development of female strive and liberty. The advances in the Renaissance have only served to mold the female gender even deeper into their ladylike roles; the wraths of men. Ultimately, with the fear to battle against injustice, the vision for absolute equality and strive for full feminine potential have failed to be accomplished in the shaping of our today.
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe was born June 14, 1811 in Litchfield, Connecticut. Her parents are Lyman and Roxanna Beecher. She is the sixth of eleven children. All seven of her brothers became ministers. Her oldest sister Catharine pioneered education for women, and her youngest sister, Isabella was the founder of National Women’s Suffrage Association. Harriet became an author, she mostly wrote about slavery.
The question of women’s agency, in moving history holds a long history dating back to the ancients, then turning away from that in small degrees during the Renaissance. Most notable in this change comes from the capital of education, the Italianate states. Home to rife differences in attitudes towards women, it also hosts the origins of the discussion around women’s purpose. The current field largely finds inspiration from writers during the American 1970s women’s rights movement, and it shows in the modern origins and their influence. However, the field’s creation date loom farther back than such a recent movement, easily dating back to Plato and Aristotle. Beginning with a negative view of the female sex as inferiority, the study of women and their rights progressed to Giovanni Boccaccio’s creation of female biography in 1374, and further developed with a female voice in 1405 under the pen of Christine de Pizan. Clearly, none of the prestigious scholars could have predicted the alterations and growth of the discussion surrounding a people group often considered subhuman.
The American Renaissance populated the world with many unique and imaginary literary works to entertain the common man, and finding the deeper meaning of life. The rise of American literature in the mid-nineteenth century was due to the intellectual and social growth that was most common in New England. These types of works explore an abundance of emotions and imaginations to entice a reader's mind. Two prominent authors of the time period would be Henry David Thoreau, as well as Edgar Allen Poe. Thoreau was a leading Transcendentalist who tended to write about his observations of nature and his personal experiences. Thoreau explored the realities of escaping reality and relocate to the peaceful wilderness. Poe is generally regarded as the
"Zora Neale Hurston is Born." history.com. A&E Television Networks, 7 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Jan.
Louisa May Alcott shows a great deal of herself throughout the novel, Little Women. She shows many parallelisms between the fictional character Jo and Louisa May Alcott. The novel is an example of their similar personalities, appearances, and life experiences. Louisa was very dramatic and comical throughout her life time. Jo March is the perfect character for Louisa to portray. She exemplifies how life was during the 19th century in America. Through the characters of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott illustrates her struggle as a woman writer in a male dominated society.
Throughout literature’s history, female authors have been widely recognized for their groundbreaking and eye-opening accounts of what it means to be a woman in society. In most cases of early literature, women are portrayed as weak and unintelligent characters who rely solely on their male counterparts. Also during this time period, it would be shocking to have women characters in some stories, especially since their purpose is only secondary to that of the male protagonist. But, in the late 17th to early 18th century, a crop of courageous women began publishing their works, beginning the literary feminist movement. Together, Aphra Behn, Charlotte Smith, Fanny Burney, and Mary Wollstonecraft challenge the status quo of what it means to be a woman during the time of the Restoration Era and give authors and essayists of the modern day, such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a platform to become powerful, influential writers of the future.
Louisa May Alcott is an American poet born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Her education came from her father until she turned sixteen. In addition to her father’s academic guidance, she was taught by family friends Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. From 1850 to 1862, she helped support her family through working various job positions such as teacher and domestic servant. During this time, she had been publishing literature of all sorts under the name Flora Fairfield, and later A.M. Barnard. The Civil War account Hospital Sketches, written in 1863, affirmed her desire to pursue writing seriously. After this, she wrote under her real name for several magazines and even become editor of one. She authored many books, but none as well-known as Little Women. The success of this ...
...woman And, while she may not have earned women the right to vote or gained women admission into institutes of higher education, she stood up for herself in a normal everyday situation, and that’s a start. She is a woman who was one of the exceptions in her era; she was not just a woman on a roof, but rather a hero of her generation.