Christine De Pizan is a revolutionary figure both in medieval Europe and today.

She was born in 1364 in

Venice, Italy, and later moved to Paris with her father. With connections to the royal court stemming from her
father and husband, Christine had access to extensive libraries and resources. These opportunities allowed her
to become a well-educated woman dedicated to literature and her studies. She later became a prolific writer
and intellectual in the court of the French king, Charles V. She gained prominence for her commitment to
challenging the misogynistic attitudes presented by men in their writings. She wrote extensively about topics
like gender equality and women's rights while uncovering the numerous accomplishments of women
throughout history. She was among the first European women to earn a living as a professional writer. Her
writings were unprecedented and revolutionary for their time and still carry their poignance and relevance
today for countless women. Her most famous work, The Book of the City of Ladies, remains significant in the
canon of the feminist movement and feminist literature. The book uses a dialogue frame between the author
and three allegorical characters: Lady Reason, Lady Rectitude, and Lady Justice. De Pizan commences her
work by writing of her confusion as to why "so many men, both clerks and others, have said and continue to say
and write such awful, damning things about women and their ways" (De Pizan qtd. in Puchner et al 1163). As
De Pizan analyzes the assumptions made by certain men, she states, "This thought inspired such a great sense
of disgust and sadness in me that I began to despise myself and the whole of my sex as an aberration in nature"
(De Pizan qtd. in Puchner et al 1163). Lady Reason guides Christine to construct an allegorical city inhabited by
only virtuous, moral, and accomplished women (De Pizan qtd. In Puchner et al 1167). De Pizan establishes the
rules and characteristics of this city, where women are equals and celebrated for their intellect and
accomplishments rather than faced with misogyny. Lady Reason then begins to provide De Pizan with a diverse
array of exemplary female role models, along with their significant contributions. Throughout the story, De
Pizan conveys themes of the importance of gender equality, solidarity, and female empowerment. Lady Reason
also mentions, "It is my role to light their way to the true path and to teach both men and women to
acknowledge their flaws and weaknesses" (De Pizan qtd. In Puchner et al 1166). Her mention of men and
women together highlights her belief that no one gender is better than the other. With this encouragement,
Christine begins to find empowerment through all of this. She regains hope and realizes that men have no
grounds to criticize women in the way they do, especially considering all of their contributions to society. The
story's structure is a thorough critique of the patriarchal society in the Middle Ages, and the themes implied
throughout make the work a pioneering piece in early feminist literature.
The Book of the City of Ladies continues to influence modern feminist thought and literature
profoundly. Many women still face similar struggles related to gender inequality and the negative
representation of women in the media. This exact cause has motivated many women to speak out against this,
as Christine De Pizan did. De Pizan's emphasis on celebrating female accomplishments just as much as men's
resonates with contemporary feminists seeking to challenge the patriarchy. Rebecca Solnit, a writer, historian,
and activist, has over twenty feminist writings under her belt, one of her more famous works being Men
Explain Things to Me. Men Explain Things to Me is an essay collection where Solnit writes about her
experiences with condescending men and their inclination to invalidate the thoughts and accomplishments of
successful women. De Pizan and Solnit, even with the enormous gap in time, both wrote with a similar goal.
They aimed to reach young girls, diminished women, and those willing to learn to bring awareness to the
rampant issue of gender inequality. In her writing, Solnit includes the reader in her illumination of the
prejudices thrown at women in daily life by using object pronouns like "us," connecting to De Pizans' themes of
solidarity and female empowerment. One example is Solnit's statement, "It trains us in self-doubt and self-
limitation just as it exercises men's unsupported overconfidence" (Solnit 4-5). Like De Pizan, Solnit
unapologetically speaks her mind and refuses to be depicted as less than or unintelligent merely because of her
gender. Solnits' and De Pizans' works parallel each other in their incisive decisions to display and refute how
women have historically been viewed as fundamentally less than men purely because men believe it to be so.
De Pizan writes, "I had to accept their unfavorable opinion of women since it was unlikely that so many learned
men…could possibly have lied on so many different occasions", initially displaying how these opinions on
women caused her to question her morality (De Pizan qtd. In Puchner et al 1163). However, at the end of her
writing, she responds to Lady Reason, claiming that she realizes the ingratitude men display when slandering
women while also consciously disregarding the ways women have advanced society throughout history (De
Pizan qtd. In Puchner et al 1173). While Solnits' works may be more progressive when compared to De Pizan's,
it is undeniable that without De Pizan's courage and admirable use of literary devices to further the impact of
her rebuttal, Solnit and many other contemporary feminists just like her would not be where they are today.
The modern feminists of the world have women like Christine De Pizan, Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, and
many others to thank for paving the way, breaking the barriers that would have previously prevented women
from opposing the progression of the patriarchy.