Paternal Tyranny
Paternal Tyranny by Arcangela Tarabotti, published by University of Chicago Press in January 2004, is a significant work that explores the injustices faced by women in 17th-century Venice. Written in English and spanning 182 pages, this book presents Tarabotti’s sharp critique of the patriarchal structures that confined women to convents and denied them educational opportunities. Through her polemical writing, she exposes the contradictions of a society that valued political liberties while simultaneously oppressing half of its population.
In Paternal Tyranny, readers will find a carefully argued manifesto that denounces misogynist texts and highlights the treatment of women as second-class citizens. Tarabotti’s work includes compelling feminist interpretations of religious texts, asserting that women hold equal standing in the eyes of God. This edition serves as a vital historical document that sheds light on the intersection of religion, social science, and feminist theory, making it a relevant read for those interested in the evolution of women’s rights and the critique of societal norms.
Official synopsis Publisher
Sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, Arcangela Tarabotti (1604-52) yearned to be formally educated and enjoy an independent life in Venetian literary circles. But instead, at sixteen, her father forced her into a Benedictine convent. To protest her confinement, Tarabotti composed polemical works exposing the many injustices perpetrated against women of her day.
Paternal Tyranny, the first of these works, is a fiery but carefully argued manifesto against the oppression of women by the Venetian patriarchy. Denouncing key misogynist texts of the era, Tarabotti shows how despicable it was for Venice, a republic that prided itself on its political liberties, to deprive its women of rights accorded even to foreigners. She accuses parents of treating convents as dumping grounds for disabled, illegitimate, or otherwise unwanted daughters. Finally, through compelling feminist readings of the Bible and other religious works, Tarabotti demonstrates that women are clearly men’s equals in God’s eyes.
An avenging angel who dared to speak out for the rights of women nearly four centuries ago, Arcangela Tarabotti can now finally be heard.
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