Isabelle de Charrière's Sainte Anne, or A Woman's Wayward Quest for Knowledge

IsabelledeCharrière'sSainteAnne,or AWoman'sWaywardQuestfor Knowledge JACQUELINELETZTER Throughouttheeighteenthcentury,novelists,philosophers,teachers,and intellectualsofsalonsocietydebateddiewomanquestion.Although theEnlightenmentheldpromisefortheequalityandeducationofwomen (sinceitchallengedthedogmaofOriginalSinwhichusedtoexplainthe subordinationofwomeninthepast),itsconclusionsprovedalmostasre- pressiveforwomenasthetheologicalprejudice.Usingscientificobserva- tion,mostphilosophesconcludedtiiatwomenwere"naturally"feeblerthan men,unfitforautonomy,andincapableofperformingdutiesinthepublic domain.Relegatedtohomeandfamily,women'seducationwasneglected, whichperpetuatedtiieirilliteracyandtheirsubjugationtomen.Evenwomen intellectualssufferedtheconsequencesofpooreducation:thenovelist FrançoisedeGraffignyneverreceivedanyformalinstruction,andthepo- liticalactivistOlympedeGougeswassaidtodictateherworkstoasecre- tarybecauseshehadneverlearnedhowtowrite.1 DuringtheFrenchRevolutionthequestionofwomen'seducationreached thepoliticalarena,asittoucheduponcrucialissuesfortheRepublic,includ- ingthemeaningofequaUty,theroleofthefamily,anddieweighttobegiven tomoralandcivicinstructioninthefamily.AlthoughinprincipletheRevolutionencouragedwomen 'semancipation,itfosteredsimultaneouslyanin- creasedfearofwomen'saccesstothepublicsphere.Malepoliticiansop- posedsuchaccess,declaringtiiatwomenwerefarmoreusefultothenation 209 210/LETZTER whentheyremainedathome,performingtheir"natural"tasks.2AsJean JacquesRousseauhaddonetiiirtyyearsearlier,theyarguedthatastrictseparationbetweenthesexeswasnecessaryfortheRepublic 'swelfare.Depitea fewvoicesofoppositionagainstthisdiscriminatorygenderideology,itpre- vailedandwasencodedintheNapoleonicCivilCode(1804).TheCodeheld thatwomenwereunfitforlegalautonomyandweretoremainunderthe tutelageofmen(theirfathersorhusbands).Indoingso,itdeprivedwomenof mostoftherightstheyhadacquiredduringtheRevolution(includingthe righttodivorce,pleadincourtintheirownname,signcontracts,orinherit property).3Legaldiscrimination,exclusionfrompolitics,andminimalac- cesstoeducationwerenotallFrenchwomenhadtosufferinthepost-revolu- tionaryperiod.TheearlyEmpiresawaproliferationofmisogynoustracts intentonsilencingwomenineveryareaofsocietallife.4 ItisduringthisbacklashagainstwomenthatIsabelledeCharrière(1740- 1805),aDutcharistocratandintellectualwritinginNeuchâtel,expressed someofhermostprovocativeideasaboutwomen'srelationshiptoknowl- edgeandeducation.Charrièrehadgainedherreputationasanovelistbefore theFrenchRevolutionwiththepublicationoffourshortepistolarynovels. SetinSwitzerlandandEngland,theydescribedvariousaspectsofthecondi- tionofwomeninatraditionalpatriarchalsociety.5DuringtheFrenchRevo- lution,Charrière'sinterestshiftedtomoregeneralpoliticalquestions.Hope- fulthattheRevolutionwouldfulfillitspromisestoalldisfavoredgroups— includingwomen—shestruggledtoinfluencepoliticaleventsprincipally throughpamphletsandrevolutionaryplays.UntiltheRevolutionsheconsis- tentlyadvocatedabettereducationforwomen.Shewasconvincedtiiat,if womenweregiventhechancetodeveloptiieirintellect,theywouldunderstandthemeansoftheiroppressionandbeabletoeludetheUmitationspatri - archalsocietyimposedonthem.Consequently,herheroinesofthatperiod weregenerallywell-educated,resourceful,andcapableoftakingchargeof theirownlives.TheRevolutiondisillusionedher,however.Itsabusesand extremismsandvirulentmisogynyshowedherthelimitsofintellectandknowl- edgeandmadeherlessconfidentthatintellectualinstructionalonecould provideasolutionforwomen. Charrière'smostimportantpost-revolutionaryliteraryachievementisa seriesofphilosophicalnovelsandshortstoriespublishedunderthecollec- tivetitleL'abbédelaTourouRecueildenouvellesetautresécritsdivers (1798-99).6Theseworksaretinkednotonlybyasharednarrativeframe,but alsoacommonproblématique,aninquiryinspiredbyRousseauintothe valueandconsequencesofknowledgeforvariousindividualsandgroupsin society.RatherthanstickwithonestrongthesisasRousseauhaddone, Charrièreengagesinanumberof"thoughtexperiments"inwhichsheevalu- IsabelledeCharrière'sSainteAnne/211 atestheappropriatenessofRousseau'spositionforeachgivenscenario.Sainte Anne(1799),thefourthoftheworksinL'abbédelaTour,isoneofthemost provocativeintheseries,foritgivesanincongruousturntoCharrière'sas- sessmentofwomen'srelationshiptoknowledgeandeducation. SainteAnneisoddintiiatitseemstobelieeverythingCharrièrehad advocatedforwomeninherpreviousnovels.7ShesetsouttooutdoRousseau bypresentingaheroinewhohasneverlearnedtoread.Thenovelopenswith theprovocativeexclamation:"Ellenesaitpaslire!Figurez-vousqu'ellene saitpaslire!"(257)[Shecannotread!Imaginethat:shecannotread!].In- deed,dierestofthenovelservestodemonstratethatilliteracyisanadvan-tagefordieheroineratherthananaffliction.However,thenovel'sintriguing titleimmediatelyalertsustothefactthatthisassumptionmustbechecked. WhydoesanovelwhosemainheroineisBabetd'EstivalcarrythetitleSainteAnne,thesurnameofBabet'sadmirer,whoisonlyasecondarycharacterin thenovelandameresoundingboardforBabetandthetwootherheroines? (SignificantlytheGermantranslationof1800didawaywiththisconfusion byentitlingthenovelBabetvonEtibal.)6ArguablytheFrenchtitlemakes moresenseifweexplainitbyitsreUgiousandregionalsymbolism.Ste. AnneisthepatronsaintofBretagne,wherethenoveltakesplace.She representsmatrimonialblissandharmony,oneofthenovel'scentral themes.Evenifweacceptthishagiographieinterpretation,however,the titleisstillpuzzling.ForSte.Anneisnotonlythepatronessofmar-riage,butalsoofwomen'sintellectualinstruction.Iconographicallyshe isalmostalwaysrepresentedasteachingherdaughter,dieVirginMary,how toread.9Anovelostensiblyaboutthevalueoffemaleignorance,whichuses asitstitlethenameofthepatronessofwomen'sintellectualinstruction,in-vitesustoreadthemessagesbetweentheUnes. Thisessaydemonstratesthat,contrarytofirstappearances,Charrière's reflectionaboutwomen'seducationfollowsadisconcerting,zigzag coursebetweentwocontradictorymodelsofwomen'seducation:Babet's "natural"educationandthetwootherheroines's"intellectual"instruction.It isnotmypurposetoelaborateonthesevariousmodels.10RatherIintendtoshowthatCharrière'szigzagcoursewasaningenioustextualtactic.Itre- flectedbothherrealisticsenseofthelimitationseachoftheseeducations presentedforwomen(whichmadeitdifficulttochoosebetweenthem),and itallowedhertoquestiontheirexclusivityanduniversalism.Thisinturn gaveherroomtoinsinuateherselfintheintersticesbetweenthesemodels andcreateaspaceforexploringalternativepossibilitiesfortheeducationof women.Interestingly,Charrièreherselfarticulatedtiiistacticinhernovel Troisfemmes[ThreeWomen](1795),thefirstworksheincludedinL'abbé delaTour.InTroisfemmes,sheusedthetermlouvoyer—literallytotack 212/LETZTER backandforthwhensailingagainstaheadwind—tocharacterizeoneofher strongestandmostappealingcharacters,ConstancedeVaucourt,whoadopts "tacking"asawayoflifeandrecommendsitasatacticofreformtoher idealisticfriendTheobald: N'excitezpasdegrandsmouvementsdanslesesprits;n'essayezd'arriver aumieuxpossiblequepardegrés;ilfautsecontenterdelouvoyer. [Donotstirupthemindstoomuch;trytogettothebestpossibleresults gradually;onemustbesatisfiedtotack.]" Constancedeemsitbestto"tack"toreachhergoalsbecausesherealizes thattheresistanceagainstwhichsheispittedisstrongerthanherself.12 ThenauticaltermlouvoyerwasstillfairlynewinFrenchinthemid-eighteenthcenturyandwasusedpredominantlyinitsliteral,technicalmean-ing."TheEncyclopédiedefinesitasfollows: LOUVOYER,verbeneutre,(Marine)c'estvoguerquelquetempsd'un côté,puisvirerdecap,&allerautantdel'autre,afindeseconservertoujours unemêmehauteur,&dériverdesaroutelemoinsqu'ilestpossible.Onlouvoiequandleventestcontraire. [Totack,neutralverb(Nautical),tosailsometimeinonedirection,then changetackandsailintheotiierdirection,inordertostayoncourseand deviateaslittleaspossible.Onetackswhenthereisaheadwind.]14 Tackingagainstaheadwindisconsideredoneofthemostdifficult manoeuvresinsailingbecauseitrequiresaseriesofcarefullycalculated turns,makinguseofsuddenwindshifts.Sincethewindgustsarenever constant,itisriskytostraytoofarfromthelinejoiningthestartingpointtothesetgoal.Atthesametime,iftheboatispointedtoocloseintothewind, shewillbehalted,asthesailswillpickupnowind,andstarttoshake orluff"Insum,themainobjectiveoftackingistoavoidbeingcaughtintiiis immobilepositionandkeepdieboat'smomentum,allthewhileremainingas closeaspossibletoone'sintendedroute.Whenwekeepthistechnicaldefi- nitionof"tacking"inmind,Charrière's"tacking"inbothTroisfemmes (throughConstance)andSainteAnnemakesevenmoresense.Confronted bysocietalvalueswhichwereoverwhelminglymisogynousandagreatre- sistancetoanyideaofemancipationforwomen,Charrièrehadtotakea zigzagcourseinordertoadvanceherownviewsinfavorofwomen.Shehad tocalculateher"tacks"carefully,however,forifshewenttooforcefully againstthedominantopinionssheriskedbeingsilenced.Ontheotherhand, IsabelledeCharrïèrésSainteAnne/213 ifshestrayedtoofarfromher"feminist"ideas,shewouldloosehermomen- tumandbemisunderstoodbyherfaithful(female)readership.Charrière's positioningasanintellectual,therefore,requiredgreatskillandinventive- ness,aswellastheenergytomoveconstantlyforwarddespitetheresistance exertedbyapatriarchalsociety. BeforeexaminingmorecloselyhowCharrièrepositionsherselfvis-Ã-vis thedominantmodelsofwomen'seducationrepresentedinhernovel,abriefreviewoftheplotisinorder.SainteAnneisayoungandlearnednobleman whoreturnsfromexiletohisnativeBretagneaftertheFrenchRevolution.At hismother'smanor,hemeetsBabetd'Estival,adistantrelative.Sheisthe daughterofanilUteratepeasantwomanandanoblemanwhomarriedBabet's motherbeforehisdeathinordertolegitimizetheirdaughter.Asinafairy tale,SainteAnneimmediatelyfallsinlovewitiiBabet.Whatattractshimis herunspoiledsimplicity,herloveofnature,andherinnatecommonsense. Shehaslivedinpovertyandhasneverreceivedanyformaleducation.She hasremainedilliteratelikehermotherandissuperstitiouslikemanyBreton peasants.Beingquickandalert,however,shehastaughtherselfmanyprac- ticalskills,suchashealingwithplants,weavingcloth,andcaringforthe animalsonthefarm.SainteAnnedoesnotholditagainsthertiiatshecannot read.Onthecontrary,hethinksthatherknowledgeismoreauthenticbecauseofit : J'aiaiméMademoiselled'Estivalavantdesavoirqu'onneluiavoitpas montréÃlire.Maisquandjel'aisu,jemesuisétonnédenel'avoirpas deviné,etj'enaiétébienaise.Ilm'asembléqu'elleenvoyoiteten entendoitmieux,qu'elleenavoitl'espritplusnetetlamémoireplusfidelle; ilm'asembléqu'ignoranttotalementbeaucoupdechoses,elleensavoit plusparfaitementcellesqu'illuiavoitétéutiledesavoir.(278) [IfellinlovewithMlled'EstivalwellbeforeIknewthatshehadnotbeen taughthowtoread.ButwhenIfoundout,IwassurprisedthatIhadnot guessedit,andIwasverypleased.Itseemedtomethatshesawand understoodeverydiingmuchbetter,thatherintelligencewasunencum- bered,andhermemorytrustworthy.Itwasasif,becausesheignoredso much,sheknewmoreperfectlythefewthingsthathadbeenusefulforher to know.] Expectingtofindinheraloving,devoted,andmostofalldependentwife, SainteAnnedefieshismotherbybreakinghisengagementwithMademoi- selledeRhédon—thefiancéeshepreferred—andmarriesBabet. Atafirstglance,thenovelunequivocallyfavorsBabet'sRousseauvian "natural"educationabovediemoresophisticated,intellectualeducationre- 214/LETZTER ceivedbythenovel'sotherfemalecharacters,MesdemoisellesdeRhédon anddeKerber.SainteAnneprefersBabettoMademoiselledeRhédonbecauseshewasnotexposedtoany "superfluous"instructionwhichwould onlyhavedistractedherfrom"leschosesqu'illuiavoitétéutiledesavoir" (278)[thethingsthathadbeenusefulforhertoknow].InSainteAnne's preferenceforBabet'sselectiveignorancewerecognizeRousseau'sprescrip- tionforSophie,whomheadvisestoconcentrateon"ceschosesqu'il[lui] convientdesavoir"[thesethingsthataresuitableforhertoknow].""Sainte Annehasaheatedargumentwithhiscousin,MademoiselledeKerber,who ischaracterizedasafree-thinkingwoman,duringwhichhedenouncesnot onlybooksandabook-fededucation,butthegovernment'splanstoinstitute anationaleducationsystem.Anintellectualhimself,hebelievesthatinstructionshouldbereservedforaneliteofthemind : MaCousine,jenesuispointfâchédevoirs'anéantirlesanciennesécoles etlesnouvellesnes'établirpoint.Quelasciencesoitdedifficileaccès. Queletalentlaviolepourainsidire___Jevoudraisqueletalentseul,qui devineenpartielascience,voulûtdésormaisapprendrecequ'onnepeut deviner.Ill'apprendrasansécolesprimaires,sansinstitutnational,sans universités,sansacadémies.(277) [Mycousin,Iamhardlyupsettoseetheoldschoolsdestroyedandthe newonesnotcomingofftheground.Scienceshouldbehardtoreach.It shouldbeviolatedbytalent,sotospeak___Iwishthatfromnowononly talentedpeople,whoacquirescienceintuitively,wouldbeencouragedto studywhattheycannotguess.Theywoulddosowithoutelementary schools,anationalinstitute,universities,oracademies.] MorevehementthanRousseauinhisbeliefthatbooksandinstructionare uselessforthegeneralpublic,SainteAnnetakesRousseau'sargumentinthe Lettertod'Alembertonestepfurtherandcondemnsnotonlythetheater,but readingaswell: CequeditRousseaurelativementauxspectacles,danssonadmirablelettre Ãd'Alembert,meparaitdevoirs'étendreÃlalecturedetoutepiècede théâtre,etengénéralÃpresquetoutesleslecturesdesfemmesetdesjeunes gens.... (276-7) [WhatRousseausaysaboutthetheaterinhiswonderfullettertod'Alembert, seemstometoholdequallyforthereadingofplays,andgenerallyfor mostallreadingdonebywomenandyoungmen.] Evenscientificbooksfallunderhiscondemnation,forinhiseyestheycan beusefulonlytotheprofessionalstowhomtheyareaddressed: IsabelledeCharrière'sSainteAnne/215 Quantauxlivresdescience,jenelestrouveguèreplusutilesquelesro- mans,pourquiconquen'enfaitqu'uneétudesuperficielleouquinese bornepasÃétudierdessciencesanaloguesÃsaprofession.(277) [Asforscientificworks,Idonotfinddiemmuchmoreusefulthannovels, especiallyfordiosewhostudydiemonlysuperficiallyandnotinconnec- tionwithtiieirprofession.] AlthoughSainteAnne'scommentsaredirectedtobothmenandwomen, theyaffectwomenmore,forinSainteAnne'sworldwomenareexcluded fromprofessionsandrarelyhavethechancetopursuetheirtalents.Conse- quently,heconsidersanyinstructionlavishedonthemuseless.Onthecon- trary,heapprovesBabet'slackofstructurededucationwhichhebelievesto bethesourceofherinnateintelligenceandusefulpracticalknow-how,which headmiresas"unmélangedescienceetdesimplicitéfortextraordinaire" (268)[aquiteextraordinarymixtureofknowledgeandsimplicity]. Charrièreshows,however,thatdespiteSainteAnne'sprotestationsabout thesuperiorityofBabet'sunstructurededucationandinnateintelligence,he isattractedtohersimplicitymainlybecauseitbringsouthisownintellectual...