This work adds to the growing body of research on Roland and de Gouges, who have become important figures in French literary history. Furthermore, by studying de Gouge's and Roland's self-identities within the context of the cultural constructions of gender created by scientists and philosophers, Beckstrand offers her readers a better understanding of ideological shifts concerning gender during the late eighteenth century, a unique view of the ways in which women writers struggled to define themselves in a restrictive social climate, and a broader understanding of the role of women in shaping political culture of the French Revolution. As such, this work will be of interest to researchers, teachers and students in the fields of eighteenth-century French literature, women's studies, and cultural history.
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