Balancing Binaries: Michelet, Woman and the Tightrope of History

Abstract

The Nineteenth Century romantic historian Jules Michelet remains one of the canons of French history and as such much has been written concerning both Michelet the man and his approach to history. This thesis seeks to re-examine how Michelet represented woman, moving away from arguments which present Michelet as either a misogynist or a man enamoured with the entire female sex. The thesis presents an alternate perspective on Michelet and woman, suggesting that his writings regarding women were not essentially an expression of his perspective on gender. Rather, Michelet’s works concerning women must be understood in terms of his conception of history as a balancing act. The core idea influencing this thesis is that for Michelet, the tenuous balance between opposite, and at times opposing, forces was necessary to ensure progress in history. His works on the subject of women are re-interpreted in this light.