Forensic Storytelling and the Literary Roots of Early Modern Feminism: ReSisters

Letters and the novel allowed women to express themselves at a time when the French Academy defined literary acceptability. Women's letters and materials in legal files provide evidence of their resistance against authority, demonstrating the historical and literary merit of this understudied genre.

Format: Hardback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In a period when the all-male French Academy dictated the standards of French literary acceptability and tradition, the writing of letters and the emergence of the novel offered a means for some women to express themselves. Despite being confined to convents, workhouses, or prisons, women found innovative ways to respond to the legal documents issued against them. The letters and associated materials preserved in their legal files provide compelling evidence that these women did not remain silent, instead finding ways to resist authority.

The forensic storytelling analyzed in this book lends support to the conclusion that the documents written under these constrained circumstances possess both historical and literary significance, constituting a hitherto overlooked genre of literature.

The French Academy, composed solely of men, established the parameters of French literary acceptability and tradition. Women who were confined to convents, workhouses, or prisons, often lacking agency, found ways to respond to the legal documents served against them. These women's letters and associated materials preserved in their legal files provide evidence of their resistance.

Forensic storytelling, which examines the narratives embedded within these documents, supports the conclusion that they possess both historical and literary merit. These writings, crafted under challenging circumstances, form the foundation of an understudied genre of literature.

By delving into the lives of these women and their responses to legal oppression, this book offers a fresh perspective on the role of women in French society during the 18th century. It challenges the notion that women were solely passive victims and highlights their active resistance and creativity. The analysis of forensic storytelling provides valuable insights into the power of language and the ways in which women used it to assert their identities and challenge the dominant narrative.

In conclusion, the writing of letters and the rise of the novel provided a platform for women to express themselves in a time when the French Academy defined the parameters of literary acceptability. Women who were confined to convents, workhouses, or prisons found innovative ways to resist authority, and their letters and associated materials preserved in their legal files provide evidence of their resilience and creativity. The forensic storytelling examined in this book supports the conclusion that these documents possess both historical and literary merit, constituting a hitherto overlooked genre of literature.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367029173