Saints and Sinners: Irony and Symbolism in Kempe’s “The Book of Margery Kempe” Throughout history there have been many cases of women who possess strong powers and a passion for God, especially in the Middle Ages. One woman that fit into that category was Margery Kempe, a fifteenth-century visionary, who was a controversial figure in the Christian faith. Margery insisted that Jesus talked to her, while many people thought that she was being possessed by the devil. During the time of The Middle Ages many stories of women saints were being exposed with many differences from Kempe’s life, however there were some surprising similarities as well. Medieval female saints and martyrs were intended to be chaste if they were single and virtuous if they are married. They were also extremely devoted and pure to Christ, not giving in to any temptations. Kempe seems to be tempted by men, but then immediately followed by shame. On the other hand she posse’s qualities the saints share like, visions, passion, a desire to be chaste and, commitment. Saint Margaret of Antioch is one of the saints that appear often in “The Book of Margery Kempe”. She is a martyr who death occurred sometime in the late thirteenth century. Unlike the The image of a young newborn, especially one crying, was symbolized in her mind as Jesus and the pain he suffered throughout his life. She would take them from their mothers’ arms and kiss them while she was weeping. She also cried and felt awful when she saw men in pain, because he represented Jesus as a man in his time of suffering. This is described in chapter 35 “...she should then cry, roar, and weep, as though she has seen Christ in his childhood”. Kempe gets the most emotional when thinking about what Christ sacrificed and suffered through for her personal sake, and for the sake of all
H. Talbot, she states, “Her visions and prophecies show a strong yet imaginative mind, which expressed in this way her moral convictions and her insight into events and character and which gave her the support and comfort she needed to maintain a chosen course of action” (484). It is clear that although Christina of Markyate was in fact a woman, that she was strong minded and that the patriarchal roles in her life were afraid of what she could do. Because she was strong in her convictions, her father trusted her and the Bishop forced her to marry Burthead. Through this, the reader can see that she conquered the patriarchy by making them fear her and what she was capable of, but also did so by respecting her and believing in her character, even though she was a woman. She fully represents a rebel to the social norm in her actions and through her visions. A rebellious medieval woman first and foremost would not marry; they would decide to become a part of the church themselves, rather than being forced to in order to please their Heavenly Father. Through the readings of Christina of Markyate and Hrosvit of Gandersheim’s Mary, the reader can see that a rebellious medieval woman, like Christina of Markyate, would leave her marriage and refuse to consummate it, or like the character of Mary, would become sexually curious and
...ths of the sixteenth century. Yes, women of that time and place left a very light mark on history. Eventually, the story the book tells spirals down into just some nasty courtroom feuds among family members. The story provides a driving narrative that brings into intimate contact disparate kinds that are still prevalent today. And the conclusion drawn from Anna's actions and reactions may surprise. In both everyday life and in times of crisis, women in the twenty first century has access to effective personal and legal resources.
Caroline Walker Bynum raised several thought-provoking claims in her book Holy Feast and Holy Fast, but her main argument of the mindset of medieval women with regards to their status in society was the most intriguing. Rather than simply agreeing with most traditional medievalists, she analyzes the male/female difference in terms of which symbols each gender used, and how these symbols tied in to their distinct religious concerns. She maintains that women accepted their place in society and religion, and instead of succumbing to the misogyny, they used their association with the flesh and humanness to connect themselves to the humanity of God. Her arguments regarding medieval women and their practices also implies that she is accepting of the idea of gender as a valuable category of historical analysis.
Thiebaux, Marcelle. The Writings of Medieval Women: An Anthology. New York: Garland Publishing. 1994. Print.
Naivety as well as the longing to fit into society with a loving man and stable, well-to-do peasant family deceived an honorable woman. Bertrande de Rols’ young marriage had difficulties from the start. With the guidance from family, the Catholic Church and Basque customs, Bertrande attempted to follow the sixteenth-century expectations for women, but was misled by her own fear, loneliness and catastrophic past.
To begin with, the structure of Kirk’s article could be divided into three parts. The first part is the introduction of Sor Juana’s background and her achievements. Krik(2008:38) argues that Juana’s uses the vocabulary and the issue of pain and suffering in order to ‘establish an intimate connection between the female physical pain and the acquisition of knowledge.’ In addition, Krik also mentions that female’s opinion does not get enough respect. This suggested in Sor Juana opinions in her works that some nuns are compulsory to be asceticism and are obedient to the ecclesiastical authorities.
the part of the Catholic Church to the challenges it faced. The Book of Margery Kempe
In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the reader is treated to an enthralling story of a woman’s lifelong quest for happiness and love. Although this novel may be analyzed according to several critical lenses, I believe the perspectives afforded by French feminists Helene Cixous and Luce Irigaray have been most useful in informing my interpretation of Hurston’s book. In “The Laugh of the Medusa,” Cixous discusses a phenomenon she calls antilove that I have found helpful in defining the social hierarchy of women and relationships between them in the novel. In addition, Cixous addresses the idea of woman as caregiver, which can be illustrated through the character of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God. On the other hand, Luce Irigaray discusses the different modes of sexual desire of men and women in her essay, “The Sex Which is Not One.” Many examples supporting and refuting her claims can be found in the novel. According to Cixous, the most heinous crime committed by men against women is the promotion of antilove. “Insidiously, violently, they have led [women] to hate women, to be their own enemies, to mobilize their immense strength against themselves, to be the executants of their virile needs” (1455). Their Eyes Were Watching God offers many examples of women in vicious contention with one another, usually involving or benefiting a man. Janie is confronted by the malice of her female neighbors in the very first chapter of the novel, as she arrives back in Eatonville after her adventure with Tea Cake. “The women took the faded shirt and muddy overalls and laid them away for remembrance. It was a weapon against her strength and if i...
Saint Barbara’s life was undeniably an isolated one. Her parents built a vast tower with all the necessities and accommodations for her to live in 290 AD, in the Anatolian city of Heliopolis, where her father, Dioscuros, was the governor. While locked away, she had two windows in which she could gaze upon the outside world. Every day she looked out of those windows and slowly discovered Christianity by the amount of beauty in the outside world. Even though she was utterly isolated from the outside world, she was still an admired woman. Rumors of her beauty and charm spread throughout and many military officers asked her father for her hand in marriage. Barbara did not like the idea of her father picking her husband for her and once she became aware of these offers for marriage, she told her father that she would commit suicide if she was forced to wed. One day while she was still coming more and more into Christianity, her father left town for another city giving specific instructions and building plans to workers for a new bathhouse for her daughter. Knowing that her f...
Marguerite Porete’s Mirouer des simples ames, also known as “The Mirror of Simple Souls”, dating from the 1290s, is a remarkable text by any standards. It is the oldest known mystical text written in French and the only surviving text written by a woman convicted of heresy. Marguerite’s work is a complex piece of literature given that it was written in an era in which many people were not educated. Her use of literary discourse illustrates the sophistication with which she presents her information and ideas, aiding in her persuasive rhetoric. Moreover, her book does more than challenge the ideals and beliefs of the Catholic Orthodoxy which was a feat in and of itself, it is also subliminally challenging the balance of power between men and women. Furthermore, her works are widely considered to be an early example of a feminine approach to theology.
In the early stages of Catherine's life the surfacing modern age was bringing with it social turmoil which spread throughout Europe (Giordani 3). During Catherine's lifetime, according to Mary Ann Sullivan in her essay “St. Catherine of Siena,” the center of Catholic rule fluctuated between Rome and Avignon and contributed to a schism between popes in Italy and France (1). Catherine was born 23rd in a line of 25 children and, according to Sullivan “even at a young age, [she] sensed the troubled society around her and wanted to help” (1). While her parents were not exceptionally religious, St. Catherine's biographer Blessed Raymond of Capua discusses Catherine's early zeal for Catholic practices: “When she was about five she learned the Hail Mary, and repeated it over and over again as often as she could…she was inspired by heaven to address the Blessed Virgin in this way whenever she went up and down stairs, stopping to kneel on each step as she did so” (24). Her devotion to the Virgin Mary would become especially important in a vision she had around this time while walking with her brother to visit one of her sisters.
St. Therese was born in 1873 in Alencon France. Therese Martin came from a large and successful family. For example, her dad was watchmaker and a jeweler and her mother began the village of Alencon because of her lace that she made for a living. Therese was the youngest of nine children; however, four her siblings died leaving five girls. Throughout Therese life, her and her sisters were protected by their father because of their mother’s death. However, Therese was her father’s “little queen” and she often got everything she desired.
The Middle Ages did not offer women many options of lifestyles. During these times women could either be virgin martyrs and sacrifice themselves in religious rituals, or become wives and mother. None of these options offered women a real chance to live, to create, to enjoy. New options emerged, these options allowed them not only to live free of male dominance, but also to be educated and to use their creativity in areas like music, theater, science, and philosophy. These options were monastic life, mysticism and life among the Beguines. Among the women who opted one of these ways of life, were: Hrotswitha, Hildegard and Teresa of Avila, whose work was among the most famous and recognized in the Middle Ages.
This was for a women to take on the role of a Nun and it seems this involved a smaller amount of women due to the smaller amount of monastaries founded in the period between 1200 and 1400. The role of the Nun involved living a life of contemplation, prayer and work and was based upon the suffering Jesus was inflicted with when on the Cross.
“Saint Joan” is filled with many religious characters but the only one who truly believes they are doing God's work is Joan. Even though there is no proof that Joan is hearing these voices...