ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

LITERATURE QUESTIONS

MEDIEVAL WOMEN WRITERS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
In Medieval times, who were “femme soles”?
A
anchorites who lived in seclusion
B
women who operated their own businesses without men
C
women who were villains in stories of courtly love
D
educated women
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -early modern periods, femme sole traders had an independent economic and legal status. Whereas the common law normally defined wives as an appendage of their husbands, lacking a separate identity, femmes soles were allowed to conduct their business dealings by themselves.

Detailed explanation-2: -Feme sole (Norman French meaning “single woman”) referred to a woman who had never been married or who was divorced or widowed or to a woman whose legal subordination to her husband had been invalidated by a trust, a prenuptial agreement, or a judicial decision.

Detailed explanation-3: -A day in the life of a medieval woman could include working alongside men in the fields, teaching their children how to read, or even influencing politics at court, all while enduring fashion trends and health and hygiene practices that we might find questionable today.

Detailed explanation-4: -Upon marriage, coverture provided that a woman became a feme covert, whose legal rights and obligations were mostly subsumed by those of her husband. An unmarried woman, or feme sole, had the right to own property and make contracts in her own name.

Detailed explanation-5: -Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Queen Peasant women had many domestic responsibilities, including caring for children, preparing food, and tending livestock. During the busiest times of the year, such as the harvest, women often joined their husbands in the field to bring in the crops.

There is 1 question to complete.