Olympe de Gouges' Women's Rights Declaration
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ScribdTranslationsOlympe de Gouges' Women's Rights Declaration
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ScribdTranslationsText No.
1: Olympe de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Citizen (1791)
Study of the text
1ermouvement (l.1 à 2) S’affirmer comme décisionnaire
This preamble outlines, from the outset, the project of Olympe of
Gouges: putting women in the spotlight,
representatives of the people, claiming their freedom
of expression. This is marked from the outset by the enumeration
who opens the text and echoes the opening of the Declaration
of human rights, but Olympe de Gouges replaces the
formulation "the representatives of the French people", which does not
only refers to men, through an enumeration taking into account all French women,
regardless of their status: "The mothers, the daughters, the sisters." We notice that the author emphasizes
ahead of their family role, while highlighting their common claims through the use of
plural. By referring to women as "the mothers, the daughters, the sisters," she highlights the connections
natural, of blood (excluding marriage which can be a socially imposed and questionable bond) that
they unite them with the authors of the text and make them equal according to nature. The use of the term of
Nation also gives a familial aspect to this text but also a political one. Women
must have this dual role like men. She wishes to keep the same form
legal and legal to this text. And she becomes the spokesperson for all women.
2èmemovement line 2 to 11: An accusatory and controversial diversion of the original text
After establishing herself as a decision-maker, Olympe de Gouges explains the reason that led
in the drafting of this statement. The present participle 'Considering that' introduces the
writing context, presenting the inequalities between women and men ("ignorance,
the forgetfulness or contempt for women's rights) as the cause of societal dysfunctions,
the 'public misfortunes' and 'the corruption of governments'. By replacing the enumeration
ignorance, forgetfulness or contempt for human rights
women's rights", Olympe de Gouges emphasizes the fact that women are everything
simply omitted from the Declaration of 1789, rendered invisible behind the supposed neutral "man"
which actually refers only to people belonging to the male sex, and it claims
Long before the feminist movement, there was an acknowledgment of women's rights.
After stating who was speaking, after giving the reason, she will clearly state this.
which she will detail later in her 17 articles "have resolved..." The enumeration of adjectives in
the expression "the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of women" characterizes the
women's rights and to emphasize their fundamental nature. "Natural rights, inalienable
and the sacred of women" are primarily the same as those of men, but women must
previously gaining the right to be considered equals to men to access
same rights as them (see in this regard the articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Women and of
citizen). The adjective "sacred" refers to the argument of divine creation and to the "masterpiece.
immortal" mentioned in the address to men.
After this, she will specify the objectives of this statement. The anaphora of the phrase
Conjunction of purpose 'so that' in a ternary rhythm introduces the different purposes of this.
declaration.
First of all, this statement must constantly remind of the rights and duties of
women as "members of the social body," that is to say to the whole society as emphasized
the periphrase. Also note the insistence with the time adverbs 'constantly',
unceasingly
- Furthermore, it must allow for the 'acts of women's power and those of the power of...
men" to be more "respected". By the parallelism ("the acts of power of
women, and those of the power of men), she indeed gives a universal significance to her
declaration
-Finally, the third objective of this declaration is that the claims of citizens be "
founded now on simple and indisputable principles" and thus contribute "to the
maintenance of the Constitution, of good morals and the happiness of all", principles stated
with a positive vocabulary. Women indeed have this specificity compared to
men are subject to problems in society that relate to morality and
physical integrity, and several articles will address these issues.
They are referred to as 'citizens' (l. 15), a status that the male revolutionaries
they were first denied, before being granted "passive" citizenship (without voting rights)
in the Constitution of 1791. Here, the author highlights their belonging to the social body and their
necessary participation in the political life of the nation.
This first paragraph will thus set the general context for this new statement. The
the last paragraph concludes in a provocative manner.
3thmovement: (last paragraph) a provocative ending
The end of the preamble acknowledges woman as the strong, 'superior', brave sex.
and beautiful. An ending that puts women in the spotlight and demands their rights and
duties as a French citizen. The connector "As a result" provides a
conclusive value in the last paragraph, which announces the upcoming articles of the Declaration.
The superior sex in beauty as in courage in suffering
"feminine" refers to the traditional expressions of "fair sex" and "weaker sex".
to refer to women: picking up the first, she denounces the second by recalling the
the pains of childbirth that every mother endures, which shows that women are not
a sex so "weak" and fragile that what men are willing to believe. With this periphrase,
The author mischievously presents the feminine prerogative of childbirth as the sign
of greater strength.
Here comes the heart of the text, the different articles that she will rewrite in the feminine.
4thmovement: The articles rewritten in the feminine
These articles testify to a real political and literary project of Olympe de Gouges: to put
the woman at the center of the political project by restoring her legal and social status.
the fact of referring to women in the singular, in articles 1 and 2, shows that Gouges
consider women as a gender, and not as an addition of individualities, like
It is explained by Sophie Mousset (text 1 p. 57).
Women are at the heart of the text. Men are mentioned only three times throughout.
the excerpt and only appear to show the asymmetry of the rights of women and men: "
the acts of women's power and those of men's power", "woman is born free and
equal dwelling to man in rights
the man.
The word 'rights' is repeated seven times in twenty-eight lines: it is therefore the main theme of
the extract. Throughout the preamble, it exclusively refers to the rights "of women" or "of the
woman and citizen," while in the articles the rights are presented as common.
to women and men.
Through these additions, the text highlights a contentious tone and points out inconsistencies.
and the declaration of human rights that omits women. Article 2 proposes a
enumeration of the natural and imprescriptible rights of woman and man: "freedom, the
property, security, and above all resistance to oppression.
The enumeration of individuals' fundamental rights is emphasized by sound echoes: the
the first three terms of the enumeration are brought together by an assonance in [é], and the end of
the enumeration plays on an alliteration in [s]. This proximity in sounds allows for
highlight the enumeration and make it easier to memorize.
With respect to Article 2 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Olympe de Gouges
You added the adverb 'especially' before 'resistance to oppression': it thus emphasizes
discreetly the importance of this right, which resonates with the accusation of despotism that it
address to men in The Rights of Woman and in Article IV.
These rights are characterized by adjectives:
"natural" recalls Olympe de Gouges' demonstration in The Rights of Woman,
which precedes the preamble. It shows that nature is egalitarian, since the sexes there
are everywhere (in all living species) confused and that they "cooperate".
the qualifiers 'inalienable and sacred' and 'unprescribable' emphasize the dimension
Fundamental to these rights: women, like men, cannot be deprived of them.
The third article clearly marks the union that Olympe de Gouges desires by specifying what it is.
the nation, a term she used in the introduction. Restrictive negation
Common questions
Powered by AIOlympe de Gouges justifies the universality of women's rights by asserting them as 'natural and imprescriptible,' grounded in the premise that nature itself does not discriminate between genders. Her argument extends to capacity and contribution, proposing that women's exclusion results in societal dysfunction. By emphasizing features such as divine creation and universal human experiences like childbirth, De Gouges argues that women's rights are intrinsic to maintaining societal and moral order, making their recognition essential for the constitution and happiness of all .
De Gouges' declaration critiques male-dominated political discourse by exposing the exclusionary language of the 1789 Declaration, highlighting how terms like 'man' invisibilize women under supposed neutrality. Her text systematically includes women where they were omitted, thus challenging the status quo. By reasserting concepts such as 'resistance to oppression,' she directly confronts the patriarchal oversight and posits rights that recognize the power dynamics at play, thus critiquing the inconsistency and biases in current political discourse .
Olympe de Gouges employs negation to bolster her arguments by emphasizing what women do not possess under current societal norms, particularly in her commentary on rights like security and property. The negation highlights the disparity and denial of rights, prompting readers to reconsider the unjust treatment under a system that should be egalitarian. By stating what women are deprived of and contrasting it with men’s rights, she underscores the urgency and necessity of her reforms .
Olympe de Gouges redefines 'rights' by explicitly associating them with women, both as individuals and as a collective gender, thereby challenging the male-exclusive framework of rights in the 1789 Declaration. She characterizes these rights as 'natural, inalienable, and sacred,' suggesting that they are born of essential human equality and divine creation. This redefinition insists that women's rights are fundamental and indivisible from men's, seeking to integrate women thoroughly into social and political structures notwithstanding the ascribed ‘passive citizenship’ in 1791 .
Olympe de Gouges mirrors the structure of the original Declaration to lend her text similar legitimacy and authority. However, she diverges by explicitly integrating women into its framework, addressing disparities absent in the original. She uses similar legal and formal language while inserting 'woman' alongside 'man' and emphasizing rights like 'resistance to oppression' with additional force. Her structure reframes the prescriptive guidelines for societal norms by reconceptualizing who is included in 'citizens' and equitably redistributing societal rights and responsibilities .
Olympe de Gouges' choice to write articles in the feminine singular symbolizes both unity and universality, envisioning women as a cohesive gender rather than a collection of individuals. This rhetorical decision underlines the collective experience of oppression and shared battles for rights, while also ensuring that women's issues are not tokenized in a male-dominated context. By giving women a singular voice that echoes universally, De Gouges effectively emphasizes their intrinsic place within the national and social framework .
Olympe de Gouges uses familial references by terms like 'the mothers, the daughters, the sisters,' which highlight natural blood connections and equality with men, contrasting against socially imposed bonds such as marriage. This rhetorical device establishes women’s inherent place in the social order while illuminating their exclusion in the original Declaration of 1789. By aligning women's roles with family and nation, De Gouges enhances their claim to equal rights, asserting that women’s roles are as pivotal to societal structure as those of men .
In her preamble, Olympe de Gouges employs enumerations to align with the style and authority of the original Declaration of 1789, yet she transforms this enumeration to include women explicitly as part of 'the mothers, the daughters, the sisters.' This deliberate inclusion aims to reflect gender equality by challenging the male-centric language of prior declarations. The enumeration of 'natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of women' emphasizes their fundamental nature and aims to assert the universality of rights beyond gender distinctions .
Anaphora in De Gouges' text, particularly through the phrase 'so that,' serves to emphasize the ongoing importance of these rights and duties. This rhetorical choice reinforces the continuous need to remind society of women's equal contribution as 'members of the social body.' It also stresses that such reminders must persist for women to access power and recognition alongside men, thus implying an urgent call to action and societal reform .
Olympe de Gouges uses the rhetorical transition 'As a result' in her concluding paragraph to accentuate a critique of traditional gender roles. She provocatively asserts women as the 'superior sex in beauty and courage,' countering the stereotype of the 'weaker sex' by emphasizing the strength required for childbirth. This transition effectively shifts focus from a critique of existing norms to a claim of inherent female strength, challenging societal perceptions and demanding acknowledgment and equality .