Has women’s representation changed much since the Middle Ages?
Swiss journalist and essayist Mona Chollet approaches a multitude of topics from politics to TV shows through a feminist lens. Her books including In Defense of Witches discuss feminist issues from various perspectives.
© Stéphane Burlot
What first strikes and continues to captivate the reader in Chollet’s writing is her ability to clearly show the historical roots of current societal patterns. In In Defense of Witches, Chollet narrates the witch-hunt which occurred from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, based on the work of several historians. The main victims of the witch-hunt were women, particularly single, childless, and older. Chollet connects the witch-hunt to current societal behaviors, arguing that a woman still has to justify her decision to not have children, and is often pitied when she is single after a certain age. Unlike men, old women are not considered attractive or sexually active. Stereotypes depict them surrounded by cats, like witches. It seems that unconsciously, historical representations have been internalized and brought into the modern era.
Furthermore, in her French-written book Beauté fatale [Fatal Beauties], Chollet describes how women are valued by their physical appearance, leading them to strive for beauty through unhealthy means, sometimes developing eating disorders like anorexia. In the Victorian Era, representations of women eating were banned, as they were considered indelicate and unappealing. Additionally, women were historically more exposed to deprivation during widespread famines. These illustrations Chollet utilizes make these books very stimulating as they allow the reader to gain perspective on women’s position in society by examining current social phenomena through historical contexts.
Chollet also draws attention to the historical rules and restrictions imposed upon women: in Beauté fatale, she describes how women’s magazines constantly emphasize methods of achieving physical perfection: weight loss, hair removal, and plastic surgery. In In Defense of Witches, “do not rock the boat” is described as crucial guidance women had to follow to avoid being accused of witchcraft. The demands made of them are often contradictory, leading to impossible standards. At Home mainly deals with the significance and the necessity of the household and the role of women within it. As stated in the book, women are expected to conform to the role of the housekeeper and find fulfillment in this role. But when they respond too well, they are despised. The reaction is similar when actresses are pressured to keep looking young but are subjected to mockery when their plastic surgery is too visible. Overall, women must “fit in.” The accumulation of injunctions is backed up by past and current examples: Chollet illuminates the problem by giving historical background and explaining how seemingly outdated restrictions still appear in contemporary society.
Luckily, Chollet also puts forward some suggestions to work towards a solution. One of them is the importance of promoting new role models. According to Beauté fatale, the majority of feminine figures in teen magazines are models or actresses, and these images of perfection convince young girls that they are the definition of success. Conversely, In Defense of Witches points out that in the USA there has been some progress: the media began celebrating some images of unmarried, childless, independent, and accomplished women such as Gloria Steinem in the seventies. At the end of the same decade, the divorce rate was skyrocketing. In the same vein, Chollet compares two movies from the eighties that reinforce and challenge women’s role in society, respectively: while in Fatal Attraction, Glenn Close plays a psychopathic single lady, ready to do anything to keep a man under her control, The Witches of Eastwick narrates how three single sisters learn to embrace the world through their magic power. Chollet explains how women's depiction in pop culture greatly influences society’s perception and treatment of women. Chollet points to numerous examples throughout history and culture in her books as she searches for a solution.
Regardless of whether the reader is a seasoned feminist or a complete beginner in this field, the richness of Mona Chollet’s writings easily engages the reader in the feminist cause. The reading is extremely fluid, each page teaches something captivating, and the underlying references are various and abundant.
