B. J. Bourque, All the Abbé’s Women. Power and Misogyny in Seventeenth-Century France, through the Writings of Abbé d’Aubignac - Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. J. Bourque, All the Abbé’s Women. Power and Misogyny in Seventeenth-Century France, through the Writings of Abbé d’Aubignac
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Bernard J. Bourque, All the Abbé’s Women. Power and Misogyny in Seventeenth-Century France, through the Writings of Abbé d’Aubignac

Tübingen: Narr Verlag, coll. "Biblio 17", 2015.

EAN 9783823369745.

Publisher's overview:

One of the most striking aspects of abbé d’Aubignac’s fictional output is that the principal focus of his work is women. D’Aubignac’s attempt to articulate his philosophy about the female sex is very much an intricate balancing act. While he is clearly interested in women, placing them on a pedestal in many of his writings, the abbé imposes limitations on their perceived innate qualities and often embraces the notion of the female as a societal scapegoat. All the Abbé’s Women explores how these ideas were influenced by the socio-political conditions of d’Aubignac’s time, resulting in a complex interrelationship between the notions of power and misogyny in the author’s fictional and critical works. The study also aims to contribute to the scholarship on d’Aubignac, painting a portrait of the abbé that has not been the focus of previous books. The work will appeal to students of French literature, gender studies and the cultural history of Early Modern France.

The seventeenth century in France witnessed profound transformations in literary production, courtly culture, and intellectual life, particularly regarding the status of women and the codification of social decorum. Within the landscape of classical aesthetics and early modern thought, writers frequently negotiated shifting boundaries between authority, gender, and societal norms. Bernard J. Bourque examines these broader cultural dynamics through the writings of Abbé dAubignac, whose fictional and critical works engage with contemporary debates concerning female agency, representation, and the socio-political structures of the Ancien Régime.

This study investigates how dAubignac balanced an apparent fascination with female subjects alongside restrictive views and the use of women as societal scapegoats. By analyzing both fictional and critical output, the volume aims to contribute to existing scholarship on the author while addressing the complex interrelationship between power and misogyny in early modern France. Readers interested in French literature, gender studies, and the cultural history of the seventeenth century may find this exploration of dAubignacs writings relevant to their research.