Within the topics addressed in class this week, I chose to
delve further into women as writers in Europe, specifically through the example
of Elisabetta Caminer Turra. Wiesner-Hanks classifies Turra as one of several
Italian women who “spread Enlightenment ideas and argued for women’s learning
in journals as well as salons” (167). Specifically, Turra “oversaw a publishing
house and founded several journals,” arguing for women to further their education
by reading intellectual information rather than fashion magazines of the day
(167). A Venetian woman in the 18th century, Turra was, other than a
publisher, a journalist and translator, even active in debates of the Enlightenment.
In addition, she also directed some of the plays she translated. She was
married, but her marriage obviously did not interfere with her ability to
pursue an active and public life. Altogether, Turra represents the idea of women who
were able to find agency in the midst of an entrenched Enlightenment viewpoint
of women, one that was frequently negative, at times, theoretically encouraging
of the education of women, yet ultimately rather inactive at changing women’s
education or position in society. In addition, Turra exemplifies a certain
pattern in history of the way in which women believe women should negate ideas
of patriarchy. Turra’s recommendation that women should abandon trivial
magazines in favor of educational reading brings to mind Christine de Pizan’s
standard of virtuous women as the best way through which to eliminate
patriarchal portrayals of women in a negative light. True, Pizan and Turra’s
arguments are different, Pizan’s one of virtue and Turra’s one of intellect,
but the two are aimed at the same objective: women embodying certain characteristics
and thus, changing perceptions. I wonder
if such a strategy is effective or if it leads more so to criticism of women by
women and thus, provides patriarchy with more “fuel for the fire,” a fire of
negative views on women?
Sources:
Wiesner-Hanks,
Merry E. Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2008.
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