Sexual politics in the Enlightenment : women writers read Rousseau / Mary Seidman Trouille.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trouille, Mary Seidman, 1951-

Series:

SUNY series, the margins of literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712-1778--Criticism and interpretation--History--18th century.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712-1778--Influence.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712-1778.

French literature--Women authors--History and criticism.

French literature--Women authors.

French literature--18th century--History and criticism.

French literature.

Feminism and literature--France--History--18th century.

Sex role in literature.

Enlightenment.

Feminism and literature.

History.

Criticism and interpretation.

France.

Physical Description:

ix, 411 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [1997]

Summary:

Sexual Politics in the Enlightenment constitutes the first book-length feminist study of Rousseau's sexual politics and the reception of his works by women readers. By today's standards, Rousseau's sexual politics appear reactionary, paternalistic, even blatantly misogynist; yet, among his female contemporaries, his works often met with enthusiastic approval and had tremendous impact on their values and behavior. To probe Rousseau's paradoxical appeal to eighteenth-century readers, Mary Trouille examines how seven women authors responded to his writings and sexual politics and traces his influence on their lives and works. The writers include six Frenchwomen (Roland, d'Epinay, Stael, Genlis, Gouges, and an anonymous woman correspondent who called herself Henriette) and the English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-381) and index.

ISBN:

0791434893

0791434907

OCLC:

35829470