de Gournay, Marie le Jars (1565–1645)
de Gournay, Marie le Jars (1565–1645)
A writer and social critic, Marie de Gournay is also known as the lifelong friend and editor of the French essayist Michel de Montaigne. She was born in Paris and raised in the Picardy region north of the city. She developed a literary career of her own upon editing Montaigne's works for publication after his death in 1592. She gained a reputation in literary circles for her combative stance in favor of the intellectual equality of women. To underline her point, she produced a wide range of works and managed to earn an independent living from her poems, a novel (Le Proumenoir de Monsieur de Montaigne), stories, political tracts, and essays on education, poetry, and language. Her works The Equality of Men and Women and The Ladies' Grievance treated the moral strength and intelligence of women, as expounded by ancient and contemporary authors as well as the earliest leaders of the church. In her essays de Gournay explains that physical differences between the genders are irrelevant, and that a lack of education and society's restrictions on women lead to the impression of inferior intelligence and judgment on their part. She criticizes men who lack the ability to take women seriously, and believes their attitude arises from their own fears and insecurity.