French Revolution Brief Documentary History

Question: Discuss about theFrench Revolutionfor Brief Documentary History. Answer: Introduction As per the text, in the aftermath of the French Revolution (1789), the womens right movement gained ground. During that period, the radicalism of women was conspicuous that was hitherto not present. The discourse of womens right assumed an important momentum during that time in France. The country was set in cauldron and the revolutionary ideas instigated women to stand for their rights. In the heated terrain, the women became vocal about their rights and responsibilities (Riggs 1998, 63). The revolutionary ideas stated that the women should be treated on equal footing with the men. They deserved the same rights and opportunities like their male counterpart. Before the French revolution, the plight of the French women was deplorable and they were given second fiddle by the society. The women were treated as second-class citizens and were often seen with disdain. They were tantamount to the property or an object of a husband or society. In the earlier times, the women remained in a secluded cocoon and they were prevented from any outdoor activity. The French revolution was occasioned by a concatenation of smaller movements (Hunt 1996, 60). The French revolution set the stage ablaze. During that time, the plebeian became agitated and they were seething under discontent. The people of the third estate were gravely disturbed and launched a reactionary movement, in a highly charged platform (Riggs 1998, 64) At the same time, the women made an initiative to propagate their demands. They countenanced a challenging forum and had a difficult time in establishing their arguments on a solid footing. Until then, the roles of women were camouflaged b y the chivalry of the men. The men dominated the scene and made the women submit to their authority. The French revolution gave the women a pretext to change this patriarchal attitude towards them. The women worked tirelessly to cease the heinous exploitation that was shoved on them. They vehemently protested against the misdeeds of the society and tried to challenge the patriarchal mould. With the beginning of the French revolution, the middle and lower segment of the society vehemently protested against the hierarchical society. Besides, the women became agitated and joined the vein of the revolution. Using the revolution as a context, the women placed their grievances on top. Like other movements of the French revolution, the womens movement became a microscopic part of the microcosm. The crux of the matter is how would one define the character of the womens movement? According to historian, the women were not hailed as a persecuted or abandoned group like the slaves, Calvinists or Jews (Hunt 1996, 63). However, the women had to face crises and prejudices past the French revolution. One of the glaring prejudices was that trajectory of the women was determined by their marriage and not any occupation. The potentiality of women was dictated by their fairness and gender. These two yardsticks measured the capability of women. Therefore, women were treated as physically weaker objects across the globe. The women tried their best to evade the comparative grid. However, every time, their efforts turned into a fiasco. At the same time, the men had an inflated ego about their supreme existence in the World. They believed that women were politically misfit. They did not have the intellectual and political acumen. Consequently, it was beyond their capacity to comprehend the highly ornate and politically enlightened issues. The women could not understand the discourses of the Enlightenment thinkers. Therefore, they should not be brought into the political orbit. In retaliation to this, the women launched a dramatic movement and used the revolution as a context. They guarded their interests in response to the revolutionary ideas. Therefore, the revolutionary phase of France witnessed a series of movements. The movement centred on the womens rights and opportunities in France took important strides. Reference Riggs, A. Reading the global past: Selected historical document. Bedford Books, 1998. Hunt, L. The French Revolution and Human Rights: A brief documentary history. Bedford Book, 1996.