Women's Club At The Cafe Hottot

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The term “revolution” describes a series of events in which change is enacted. But, what exactly is and is not a revolution beyond this broad definition is a controversial topic amongst historians. Jack Goldstone believes that a revolution is defined, “in terms of both observed mass mobilization and institutional change, and a driving ideology carrying a vision of social justice” and that they “arise only… when elites begin to attack the government”. However, upon inspection of commonly accepted “revolutions” it becomes evident that Goldstone’s definition is not accurate. The French Revolution, for example, occurred with little aid from the “elites” and was fostered and carried through mostly by the people of the Third Estate. One important …show more content…

One way in which this can be seen is through an examination of the way in which women were depicted in art created during the French Revolution. Having witnessed the actions of women during the French Revolution and thus armed with a new perspective on gender, many artists portrayed the women of the French Revolution in a masculine manner. In a drawing titled “Women’s Club at the Café Hottot during the French Revolution” attributed to Pierre Alexandre Wille, women are depicted assuming stereotypically masculine roles, illustrating the deconstruction of gender norms. Given that the drawing was set in Café Hottot, a place renowned for harboring and fostering the thoughts and ideologies of the French Revolution, the artwork is most likely a comment on the relationship between the French Revolution and the evolution of gender roles. In the drawing, the women are portrayed in a positive light and appear to be strong and independent with some of them even possessing swords. This portrayal directly contradicts the ideal woman as defined by Rousseau. The fact that the drawing depicts the masculinization of women in a positive light displays a change in the way French society viewed gender. Women like Corday and those who marched on Versailles, showed that women no longer had to be “weak and passive” and that being independent and strong was …show more content…

Because women were not allowed to participate directly in government, they relied on media such as pamphlets and brochures to influence policy or draw attention to issues. One of the most important documents in the earlier years of the French Revolution was the “Petition of the Women of the Third Estate”. This petition was created on July 1, 1789 and was sent to Louis XVI asking for equality and opportunities for women. In the document, the women wrote, “We demand enlightenment and jobs, not in order to usurp the authority of men, but to be held in greater esteem by them”. This document is one of the first examples in which the women of the Third Estate played a role in pushing for the advancement of the ideas of liberty and equality. These women did so by advocating for women’s rights. In the document, the women explain their request for more freedom as stemming from their desire “be held in greater esteem” by men. Through the petition, the women clearly display discontent at the restrictions placed on them as a result of their gender and their self advocacy shows the beginning of the formation of feminism in the French Revolution. Furthermore, by petitioning for gender equality, the women of the Third Estate were helping to advance the revolution ideologies of equality and

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