Lisette

Chapter 8 ~ My Ears are Wearied by Your Carping

It was at the Musain the following evening that I ended up slightly losing my temper. The others argued loudly all the time, but I had always avoided doing so, lacking confidence in both my thoughts and my ability to express them. It was Enjolras, Bahorel, and Combeferre discussing democracy, and voting rights, that tipped my over the edge. From sitting quietly next to Jehan, who was reading out loud to me from a book of Greek myths as I sewed, I ended up turning to their table, next to us, and interrupting: 

"You speak of everyone - The People, as you call them - and yet I think you only consider half of those that make up everyone to be The People. Liberté, égalité, fraternité - isn't that the motto of your wonderful Republic? And yet, I wonder if you truly know what it means? All three such abstract concepts - so difficult to truly implement, especially when you unknowingly wear such blinkers, for all your wide reading. I will freely admit to having read far less than any of you, and yet I think I am still worthy of holding an opinion, given that I am as much one of The People as anyone else. Liberty - true liberty - is impossibly - the liberty of one man will necessarily impinge on the liberty of another.

"Let us take equality instead - of these three concepts, it is perhaps the easiest to pin down and define. In your Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen: 'Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.' Brother Jonathon likewise has his constitution - 'All men are created equal.' Fraternity - brotherhood - the third part of your motto - contains the same flaw as the two statements I just cited. It includes only men - women cannot be brothers. To take a step further: which men do you mean? For it seems to me that over there 'all men' consist of those who are white, educated, and make more than a certain amount each year."

"No," Combeferre interrupted. "When it comes to Equality here, it shall be true and whole - regardless of colour or income. As for education, as you and Enjolras were discussing the other day, there should be equal opportunities for education for all."

"That will never come to be though, will it? There is always one law for the rich and another for the poor - hell! there will always be loopholes to allow them to access better education than those with less money. Privilege - possessed by the rich - just means private law. It might be seen as pretty good evidence of criminality to be living in a slum, but owning one? That just gets you invited to the best bloody parties. But I digress. Are not all women made equal to man? Surely she should have as much say in who governs the country as he?"

Bahorel stifled a laugh. "Women are not made equal to men! Their place is not in politics - it is far more important for them to be in the home, raising children, and keeping their husband's house for him. That is not to say they have no importance, but their role lies in a different place."

"According to who?" I shot back. "Under your Republic, the Church and State are entirely separate. And yet, in your treatment of women, I find the teachings of the Church creeping back in under the door, to influence how your State is run. Give me a reason for woman's inferiority - for that is what you are suggesting, even if you do not name it as such - which is not based on the teachings of the Church. I am happy to argue against Eve's part in Original Sin, but this is not the context for it."

"The most obvious one is that women are physically weaker," he responded. 

"Oh? So we should have tests of strength before voting, should we? Or perhaps there should be some kind of test through feats of arms before anyone is permitted to stand for office! I know Jehan would be in favour of such medieval pageantry, but not, I think, for such purposes as this. I know some women who are stronger than some men, and likewise some men who are weaker than some women. As it stands, I'm sure I could knock over Grantaire quite easily, in his present state. And this is your reason for excluding women from politics?"

"Alright - something more important. Women are intellectually weaker. They can't hold knowledge so easily as men, and their ability to reason is less."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously there are some exceptions," he added, quickly.

"My ears," I began to quote, "Are wearied by your carping. You brashly and publicly not merely wonder, but indeed lament, that I am said to possess as fine a mind as nature ever bestowed upon the most learned man.' I said earlier that I had read far less than any of you, but I think also my reading matter has differed. Jehan lent me a book - a collection of letters from Italian writers in the fifteenth century, and Laura Cereta's On the Liberal Education of Women feels particularly relevant in the face of this discussion. Women have been the intellectual equals of men throughout history. In that letter alone, she cites dozens of educated women throughout not only the Classics and the Bible, but also History. In that book alone, there were at least two other women I can think of who delivered orations to universities they were not permitted to attend, published letters discussing theology and philosophy, were well read and educated - and this was four hundred years ago! And yet it seems there has been little - if any - progression since then. A woman's capacity for learning - for knowledge - for reasoning - is no different to a man's. A woman's education, on the other hand, is strikingly different, and perhaps that is where this misconception (to be generous with my language) arises. Every single one of you, with the exception of Feuilly, has been to, or is presently attending, university. How many women are afforded that opportunity? A woman's place is in the home because she is granted no choice. If a woman desires to keep house and raise children, I have no objection, but she must have the choice - the ability to freely decide what she wishes to do with her life.

"The present system grants her no choice at all. From birth, she is property - of her father, of her brother, of her husband. As property, she cannot own her own goods or chattels, and so is entirely reliant on making a good marriage, or on having a good male relative on whom she can rely. The other option for a woman is to enter a convent, but such a life, while ideal for some, is abhorrent to many. Were a woman freed from such constraints - what wings she might then spread! And yet by excluding her - preventing her from having a voice - preventing her from having a choice - you continue to infantilise her and insist on all decisions that affect her being made for her. To quote de Gouges: 'A woman has the right to mount the scaffold. She must possess equally the right to mount the speaker's platform.' But perhaps," I turned sarcastically to Enjolras, "such a Girondist is not to your tastes."

The room had fallen almost silent, but I ignored this, and before he could answer, I continued. "You seem to underestimate the importance of women, even as you ignore them. Every single one of you is here today because of women. Not just the women who carried you and birthed you and raised you, but the women who made your clothes, wash your clothes, sweep your floors, cook your food, rent your rooms, sweep the street before you, bring your water... Do they not deserve acknowledgement for the work that they do? Do they not deserve to be listened to? Or shall we continue, as in times past, to treat them as attractive cattle - pleasant to look at, but hardly worth anything else?"

"You argue well, and eloquently," said Combeferre, after a pause. "It is certainly something to be considered."

"Oh! You will merely consider it? Surely if equality is the cornerstone of your Republic, then all should be equal. So often, it seems, you consider women either irrelevant, or distractions. If you were to think of us as people - "

"We have never not considered you a person!" Combeferre argued.

"Judas! You seem not to understand - for all of you, it seems, I am an exception! Why are all women not considered equal? For what reasons am I the only women permitted in this room? Louison is only permitted out of necessity, but why am I permitted? I am not an exception, and should not be treated so. To understand women as equals, you must treat us as such."

"Perhaps that is something that can be changed," said Combeferre. "To change things within this room is entirely possible. Though to change such a thing in law - in society as a whole - it will take time - there are plenty who will object, initially. It will take time to change minds."

"If all things are to be overturned anyway, we can change all things at once, and quickly," countered Enjolras. "A quick enough change, and people will barely have time to notice and argue against it."

The conversations around the room slowly began to bubble up again, and as the volume in the room rose, I turned back to my sewing. A couple of times when I looked up, I caught Enjolras absently gazing at me, as I had sometimes caught him doing when we were at home, and I couldn't help wondering what he was thinking.