Abstract This paper briefly examines the sociological contretemps of Hickman's text, "Courtesans", and Glassner's text, "Culture of Fear". The paper reviews how the former addresses the sociological barriers which kept women in straitened and often unhappy circumstances, and it also looks at the sociological factors which contribute to Americans fearing the wrong things while ignoring those items which matter more.
From the Paper "Sociological Aspects to Courtesans and The Culture of Fear In Katie Hickman's Courtesans, the reader is introduced to the sociological realities women faced in eighteenth and nineteenth century society. Predominantly, these women gained fortune and security - if not power - by making themselves sexually available to powerful suitors. In effect, the social mechanism by which they profited was that of prostitution - although it was rarely used in describing them. Their education, their social pretensions and their involvement in the arts are also noteworthy and they are detailed below. Education, the arts, the social pretensions and the native inquisitiveness of these women all played a role in their formation. Sophia Baddeley, for example, received a "genteel" education (Hickman 34); Elizabeth Armistead was born into poverty and there does not appear to be any evidence that she received a "genteel" education (Hickman 83-85)."
Abstract This essay discusses Susan Griffin's book "The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues" as a deep and penetrating look into the history of the courtesan profession. The author asserts that Griffin's primary contention in this book is that courtesans have a special place in history; they were neither prostitutes nor part of the immoral underground of European society, but rather a prominent display of femininity during many different eras of Western history. The author also gives a positive personal opinion towards the book.
From the Paper "Griffin's book focuses on many different stylistic and literary techniques that help to make this both an entertaining and fluid narrative. Her organization of the book is very succinct; she offers the purpose of her book in the introduction by stating clearly that she intends to explain the artistic and aesthetic nature of the courtesan. She continues to advance this position through each following chapter and makes her organizational scheme very understandable. Each chapter works to enhance her position and defend her thesis. Although it may appear through this review that her work is academic in nature, the opposite is true. She carefully hides her thesis and the progression of her 'evidence' through the narrative biographies of famous courtesans throughout the ages. She tells the stories of Veronica Franco of 16th century Venice, Madame de Pompadour of Versailles and many other such courtesans who were able to entrench themselves into the heart of Western society. Through their stories she shows how they practiced their craft and were able to gain 'liberation' from society as a result of their prowess. Her story telling technique makes this narrative extremely digestible and makes her arguments very subtly throughout her work."
Abstract This paper examines the social system of Venice (regarding women) in 16th century Venice and attempts to understand what happened in Venice to women during the witch craze. Women at that time were either categorized as angels or courtesans, an upper-class prostitute, known for her extreme beauty, extravagant dress, and intellect in all subjects. It looks at the life of the most famous courtesan Veronica Franco who was a famed poetess, sought-after courtesan and even a national asset when she used her beauty to convince King Henry III to give Venice ships for a battle and how she was eventually brought before the Inquisition and was tried for magical incantations and witchcraft in 1580.
From the Paper "Superstitious magic was not at all uncommon in Venice, especially for courtesans. Furthermore, Venice is one of the only locations during the witch craze that never put someone to death or severely tortured them on the charge of witchcraft. (The inquisition probably charged the majority of these people with "heresy" instead of witchcraft, and undoubtedly the heretic were put to death and/or tortured). The superstitious magic that many courtesans performed was a kind of love magic, called martelli."
This paper describes how patriarchal protection or authority both liberate and debilitate the female characters in Aphra Behn's "Sir Patient Fancy" and "The Feigned Courtesans".
Abstract This paper looks at these two plays by Aphra Behn and shows how she was a radical writer in her times. Focusing on the sexual liberty of women, she created characters that were not suppressed by the male patriarchy and she wrote of the erotic nature that the women possessed. The plays are analyzed for these themes.
From the Paper "Depicting sexually liberalized women the two plays in question, underscore and criticize the patriarchal system of society where a double standard of judgment is applied to the behavioral codes of men and women. Under the guise of protection the women are seduced but then by an ironic set of standards the very same women are criticized on allowing themselves to be seduced."
Tags: female, erotic, play, literature, patriarch, society, liberal
A paper which discusses that despite the severe limits placed on Chinese women throughout their history, they still managed to demonstrate tenacity and courage and the power of decision within these restrictions.
Abstract The paper discusses how women throughout Chinese history have experienced the oppression their tradition and culture exert as well as the power only members of their sex can attain in their chosen domains. It shows that although readers have been exposed to historical anecdotes relating foot binding and Man's superiority to women, there are also many stories relating their freedom and tenacity, whether they are wives, concubines, courtesans or prostitutes. The paper discusses how the history of Chinese women is not necessarily limited to persecution and being dominated, it is also peppered with inspirational stories of women who have been able to find happiness, success and fulfillment within the parameters Chinese tradition and culture dictate.
From the Paper "The girl split from her first family with the understanding that she was never going back to them nor even allowed to communicate with them unless she had the permission of the man. On the surface the procedure is very much like a father marrying off his daughter, making the same arrangements as if it was a legal marriage. However there were a few things that distinguished the wife's status over that of the concubine. Legally, a Chinese man can only have one wife but could possess innumerable concubines. So the status of wife was more special than that of the concubines. Wives were also allocated property upon their marriage while concubines were not. Concubines did not have dowries and their first family did not receive any presents from the man upon losing their daughter."
Abstract The essay discusses the themes related to men and women in Feng Meng-long's "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger", a short story typical of vernacular courtesan romances popular with the 16th century shift towards a business culture prevalent through the Ming Dynasty. Specifically, the author analyzes the relationships between the character of Master Li with his father and with his lover Du Tenth.
Outline:
Introduction
The Economics of Brothels
Male Weakness as Unfeeling Behaviour
Last Remarks
From the Paper "As a member of Li Zhi's school of writing which stressed human sentiment and behaviour, Feng stressed to the reader how Master Li had acted out of cowardice, thinking that the sale of Du Tenth would permit resolution in the future, that he could return to his family and later have Du Tenth. She is having no part of it, of course, having seen immediately what Sun had placed in Li's mind and how easily he had gone ahead with what seemed a solution. At once, the reader understands that her sentiment has been genuine along with her words, and also, that she is shrewd and when revealing the wealth she had amassed to give to her husband, that she is far better as business woman and person able to manage in the world. For Feng, men are cowardly when ignoring women's feelings, and easily manipulated, or opportunists in the manner of Sun who almost managed to get hold of Du Tenth. Unsurprisingly, in the romantic scheme of things, it is Du Tenth the whore who proves to have nobler sentiment, as well as intelligence. Feng summarized that 'Sun Fu, who thought nothing of throwing away a thousand taels in a plot to steal away a lovely woman, was certainly no gentleman, while Li Jia, who failed to recognize Du Tenth's sincere devotion, was a vulgar person not even worth talking about.' (p.855)
"The crowd wondered why she had not found a mate that suited her beauty and devotion, the whole story most pitiful in that she has suffered for her honesty, risked leaving the brothel behind, believing that she had found her future with Master Li who seems not to appreciate, at all, the radical step that she has taken, placing herself on the winds of fate, willing to go anywhere and face any consequences with the man she loves."
Tags: gender courtesan, human sentiment, china themes morality
Abstract This paper provides an insight into the place of women in society in 16th century Venice. It examines how women fell into one of two categories; the angel or the courtesan (upper class prostitutes) and looks at how the credentials and restraints for each role were usually determined by factors over which the women had no control and yet they defined every aspect of her life. It evaluates why a women would want to be a courtesan and describes the life of Veronica Franco, the best-known of all the Venetian courtesans.
From the Paper "The Venetian angel was a virgin woman born into a noble family. Her birth gave her not only the respectability that came with her name but also enough wealth to provide a dowry, which guaranteed her a marriage. These women were esteemed because of their nobility but often married women were unhappy because of the extensive limitations placed on them by their husbands and society. As far as education was concerned, Venetian noble women were given a very small one, and what they did receive was at the hands of the convent and so it was ridiculously religious."
From the Paper " Camille
Alexandre Dumas fils (1824-1895) was the illegitimate son of the novelist Alexandre Dumas and a Belgian seamstress. Although his father acknowledged him as his son and for some time they were constant companions, Dumas fils was undoubtedly aware of the social position he and his mother occupied and the limitations of that position. Consequently, a reader is not surprised to find in Camille a sympathetic rendering of the courtesan, Marguerite Gautier. However, Dumas fils also establishes at the outset that he does not intend to excuse the behavior of courtesans. Instead, he merely offers the case of one courtesan who may differ in significant respects from people's usual expectations of a courtesan to demonstrate that courtesans should not be judged too harshly."
Abstract This paper argues that bride-wealth is more of an economic transaction.The author points out that prostitution originally was seen as an acceptable activity. The paper relates that courtesans were special prostitutes; however, eventually, prostitution became a place for poor women to make money.
From the Paper "The concepts of sex, sexual activities, property, economics and mortality are all culturally determined. The fact that these concepts are culturally determined means that combinations of these activities are viewed differently in different societies. For example the relationship between sex, economics and mortality can be seen differently in different societies. A prime example of this phenomenon is known as bride-wealth. In "Cultural Anthropology", Robert H. Lavenda and Emily A. Schultz define bride-wealth as, "The transfer of certain symbolically important goods from the family of the groom to the family of the bride on the occasion of their marriage.""
Abstract This paper focuses on the fate of the single woman in Tokugawa Japan. The paper reviews the various options available to them, such as prostitution. The only way to escape such a fate, was to become a nun, the common practice of former prostitutes and courtesans. This paper discusses the lives of these Japanese women, and refers to various literary sources.
From the Paper "Our ideas of women and their freedom in the 21st century bring awareness of the limited choices of low status women in Tokugawa Japan. This essay refers to literary sources and what they tell us of the Tokugawa courtesan or prostitute and how her life so contrasted with women in more respectable society. It is clear that Tokugawa Japan very much laid out women's roles for them, and Japanese society may still show signs of a second-class status for many women."
